The Outlaw Princess
by Swan3ills
Summary: Regina couldn't cast the curse her mentor procured for her, as she walked into a trap she wasn't expecting to fall prey of. A spell has captured her in a prison she can't escape from without magic, but fate shall bring a Savior her way to break the Evil Queen free from a curse placed upon her by her own mother. A road to freedom and redemption. *SwanQueen*
1. Heart of Stone

**_Disclaimer: _**_I claim no rights over the original characters and story that inspire me to write.  
ONCE UPON A TIME FANFICTION Featuring SWANQUEEN in THE ENCHANTED FOREST_

This story is a change to the Evil Queen's curse.

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**Heart of Stone**

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Once upon a time in a forlorn castle there lived a lonely princess who had been cursed by her own mother in her blinding hunger for power. The King from a neighboring realm had asked for the maiden's hand in marriage after his daughter had been rescued by her, but the brown-eyed girl rejected his proposal and the fortune he offered to her family.

Her mother, Cora, couldn't believe her child's behavior. Princess Regina hadn't given her a chance to speak after furiously throwing the wedding ring to the floor and making her feelings clear to the elderly man. Cora didn't even get a chance to use her magic upon her daughter to force her into submission and render her a puppet expected to perform the main role in her dream play.

The curse Cora cast on the young lady trapped Regina's heart inside a hard shell, allowing no love to enter in the coldness of a numb heart. Without the girl's ability to feel, True Love would never be able to free her from the incantation punishing her. "Love is weakness," her mother kept telling her… "Power is freedom". But even after being cursed, she refused to be wedded with the old king.

Years went by and the princess secretly learned to use magic in her own pursuit of power. A power she needed to get hold of in order to satisfy her hunger for revenge and to feel some kind of emotion, as love was something she could no longer remember. When Leopold and Cora killed the stable boy for being Regina's excuse, they eliminated any possibility of True Love for the maiden.

(Ten years later)

Regina's realm lived under the fear of even mentioning the Queen's name, as she had eyes and ears everywhere and speaking badly about her always called for a tongue or head; according to the level of offense. She had mastered the arts of black magic after years of lessons with no other than the Dark One. The same warlock who helped her get rid of her tyrant mother and rise to the throne in her grandfather's kingdom.

The Evil Queen had gone to war with Leopold's realm five years after starting with her magic lessons. She had built a strong army with the only purpose to conquer his prized lands, as part of her revenge agenda. Regina had gathered the best warriors with the use of her growing powers and the fear she inspired on her helpless subjects.

Regina burst into King Leopold's castle after her troops dominated his. She was aiming for her ultimate strike; beheading the King in the plaza to show his people who owned the throne now. The dark empress made thick wooden doors explode with a simple movement of her hand, clearing the entrance to the palace. There was no knight able to stop her and one by one they dropped lifeless on the ground.

It was when Regina reached to the King's chambers when she heard a woman crying. She opened the doors with a gust from her hand and walked toward the master's bed, where she found Snow White crying over her father's motionless chest.

_- "It's too late to come for revenge."_ The King's daughter murmured.  
_- "He's dead?"_ The annoyed woman asked.  
_- "Yes, his heart failed after knowing we lost the war."_ Snow answered.  
_- "Well, I didn't come here for nothing. I shall have my revenge!"_ The brown-eyed yelled.  
_- "Hasn't it been enough suffering?"_ Snow questioned her.  
_- "Not yet."_ Regina replied with a vicious smile in her lips.

Regina grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up to her feet. She was about to rip out the princess' heart, as her hand dug deeper into the princess' chest, when special warmth invaded her body bringing back a faint memory of how love felt.

_- "What is this… feeling?"_ The Evil Queen mumbled.  
_- "You're hurting us, Regina!"_ Snow cried out.  
_- "Us?"_ The brown-eyed asked, eyeing the girl but her bump was so small it was hard to tell how long she was into her pregnancy.  
_- "Get away from my wife!"_ David yelled at the dark mistress.

The Prince burst into the chambers wielding his sword and pressed the blade hard against Regina's jugular, making a small cut from where a drop of blood trickled down her neck.

_- "You're not going to hurt her or our baby!"_ He threatened.  
_- "That's precisely what I have in mind." _The brunette said before she vanished in a purple mist.

Six months passed quickly by and Snow was concerned for the safety of her child and the realm. Regina's threats were never empty, even if David kept insisting they were only words and they would be safe with the spell the Blue Fairy gave them in case Regina dared to come back to hunt them.

_- "The Evil Queen! She's h_ere!" Grumpy screamed as he ran into the room.  
_- "The baby!"_ Snow whimpered.  
_- "She will be safe."_ The king assured her.

Regina broke into their chambers and, without knowing, walked right into a trap. Snow was holding the newborn in her arms, as David held a scroll in his hands. He started pronouncing the words written in the piece of paper and a pentagram began to glow under the Evil Queen, trapping her inside its magic shield and making her body slowly turn into stone.

_- "You are going to regret this!"_ Regina yelled at them as she struggled trying to escape.  
_- "No, you are!" David yelled.  
- "You gave us no choice."_ Snow said with tears in her eyes.

The spell continued to work its way and in a matter of seconds the rest of Regina's body had transformed into stone, leaving nothing but a sculpture sitting in the middle of their nursery room. The baby was crying while her parents discussed the next move to take, until deciding they should lock the dark sorceress some place where magic couldn't reach her to break the incantation.

With the Evil Queen gone, the kingdom flourished under Snow White's leadership. Everyone lived in peace and harmony, as war had finally ended and Regina was no longer threatening with taking away their happy endings.

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_AUTHOR'S NOTE: Let me know what you think! Comments and suggestions are welcome. If you like it, please share with other SwanQueen fans!_


	2. The Outlaw Princess

**The Outlaw Princess**

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Princess Emma grew into a beautiful but reckless lady who was always getting herself in trouble. The energetic princess loved to gallop on her steed from dawn to dusk, exploring her kingdom's lands and venturing into dangerous quests. She always followed her father when there was a mystery needed to be solved and avoided her mother's etiquette lessons at all cost.

Emma learned about a mysterious cave where a magical statue was being kept one of the many nights she sneaked out of the palace dressed up as a man to bypass her guards and hang out in the infamous "Rabbit Hole" tavern. It was a place where no lady would be allowed to enter, unless it was to serve beer and tolerate the filthy drunk male's groping.

The princess became a regular, even though it was not for the strong dark beer she had grown to like, but because fearless men used to come from time to time and talk about adventures in foreign lands. She had been recruited by a bounty hunting team five years ago; the day she turned twenty-three and proved her archery and sword skills worthy of a spot in the merry men's team.

She joined Robin Hood's gang with her perfect disguise; consisting of some of her father's old clothes and even a beard she had perfected to complement her costume. She kept her hair just above her shoulder to make fighting more easy and her male look more convincing, so convincing that a few of the tavern girls had fallen head over heals in love with her or "Henry", as she liked to call herself.

The bounty they would go after this night was a sculpture the Queen and King kept hidden in a cave near the troll bridge. They wanted to get hold of the stone figure as a wealthy imp had offered them its weight in gold.

The princess had never heard from her parents about the statue before, she had only heard stories about an evil queen who had once tried to conquer their kingdom, but disappeared one day without anyone knowing what happened to her. She somehow remembered the town people's rumors about the royal family using magic to get rid of the dark mistress and Emma sure wouldn't miss this quest, no matter the outcome of her recklessness.

Emma had been expected for supper in the palace, as there was a prince waiting for an answer to his proposal for marriage. The youngest son of King Ardan Jones was drinking from his canteen of rum, as he stood by the fireplace looking at the flames knowing it would be another visit without answer. Killian was annoyed but he still liked the untamable nature of the princess he wanted to wed.

_- "I suppose she isn't coming."_ The prince said.  
_- "Give her some time, she must be choosing the right dress."_ Snow White said.

Killian laughed at the idea, he had never seen Emma wear a dress in all the time he had known her and this occasion would be no exception. She was more like a stable boy than the princess her mother hoped to see one day walk down the stairs wearing her old wedding dress.

_- "Fine then."_ Killian told Snow.  
_- "She does like you, I know." _The Queen said to him.  
_- "She __**likes**__ me… perhaps that's the issue."_ The blue-eyed muttered.  
_- "Emma knows I can handle a no, but if she must have it this way I respect it." _He finished before leaving the palace.

Snow was sad to see Killian go. She knew he loved her daughter truly, as he had shown to care for the girl ever since they met in their teen years while King David and King Ardan made deals to support each other's realms with commerce. Ardan's fortune thrived from shipping goods through the seas between the many kingdoms in the fairytale land. He was a visionary man with good business relationships and an equally growing wealth.

_- "Oh, Emma. Where have you gone to this time?"_ Snow mumbled wondering the answer.  
_- "I have bid them farewell. Ardan wasn't as chilled as Killian but we remain in good business terms."_ Her husband interrupted her thoughts.  
_- "I wonder how long it will be until our daughter returns this time."_ Snow said, shaking her head.  
_- "She will be fine. She knows how to take care of herself. She kind of reminds me of someone."_ David said, raising a playful eyebrow toward his wife.

It was no news the princess had escaped from the uncomfortable reunion she was expected to attend. Every time there had been a prince, king or duke knocking at her door with a proposal for marriage, the adventurous princess managed to flee from the scene and stayed away for a day, week or lastly for months.


	3. The Evil Queen

**The Evil Queen**

* * *

At the other side of the kingdom, Emma was following after Robin's lead to the troll bridge where they were going to find the cave containing the treasure they were anxious to get hold of. What they didn't know was this bounty would bring no good fortune their way.

After making deals with the vicious human-beast hybrids guarding the troll bridge, they managed to gather enough silver coins to pay one of the filthy monsters to guide them toward the alleged cave. It was well hidden in the lushest part of the forest, covered by overgrown shrubs and a heavy big rock closing the entrance.

_- "The tricky part will be removing that rock."_ Robin Hood said.  
_- "If people managed to put it there, it is possible to make it move away." _Emma was optimistic.  
_- "It is going to take all the man and beast force we can get."_ Robin told them.

Their leader ordered to use rope to grab onto the edges of the stone and tie it to their horses. All men positioned at the opposite side to push the rock as their strong steeds pulled at it with all their might. After minutes of trying, resting and going at it again, the rock finally moved to the side giving them entrance to the mysterious cave.

Robin was at the front followed by Emma; who had earned to be the second in charge with her fighting skills and special power to know when someone was lying or if some situation wasn't what it seemed to be. Just like what she was sensing at that moment, she had the uncanny feeling that they were walking into a deathly trap but her hunger for action and desire for answers motivated her to continue moving inside the dark humid cell.

_- "Hold the torch for me, Henry."_ Robin Hood asked Emma.

The leader of the merry men walked closer to the statue resting in the center of the cave. He didn't notice the set of crystal stones spread over the floor in a pattern that formed a big star with inscriptions in an ancient language unknown to them. Emma was the only one who saw it and tried to warn her leader before he stepped over one of the stones, making it roll over the floor and distort the shape.

A crackling sound started to come from the statue and the crystals began to glow under the sculpture. Emma quickly moved into the figure and placed the magical crystal back on the spot it used to occupy before being thrown away. The crackle stopped and the figure on the floor shimmered weakly.

Everyone was astonished at what they had just witnessed and decided to discuss if it was worth taking the risk of awakening whatever power was being contained inside the human sized stone.

_- "We won't do it. We have no idea what this thing is."_ Robin told the merry men.  
_- "But the fortune that statue is worth could feed our families for a year"_ One of the men spoke.  
_- "It might seem tempting but good things are never this easy."_ The wise leader said.

Everyone agreed to let it rest in peace and his merry men started to walk their way out. All except one; Emma, who waited for them to get farther ahead so she could have a close look at the female figure waiting for the day light could shine upon her face again. Nobody noticed Henry hadn't come out with them and started to put the rock back in its place to close the entrance to that frightening cave.

Emma was too busy to notice, as she was looking at the woman immortalized in stone before her. She could feel in her gut that she knew that person but she couldn't remember ever seeing her face. The blonde looked into cold eyes and noticed unshed tears perfectly carved into the statue's eyes.

_- "No way this is just a rock."_ She said to herself.

The Savior in her made her feel responsible for the lady trapped in a horrible curse. Whoever had done that to the woman frozen in stone would have to answer to her, as this was not the right thing to do. Emma lifted up her hand and gently caressed the woman's cheek, feeling empathy for her.

With the earnest touch from the Savior's hand, Regina's heart started to beat again inside her chest. The magic Emma possessed was unknown even to her, but it awakened after making contact with the enchanted sculpture. The blonde noticed a faint beating sound coming from the statue and moved her head to press her ear against the sculpture's chest, to make sure she wasn't imagining things.

_- "Holy shit! You're alive."_ Emma screamed.  
_- "I will get you out of here, I promise."_ She said to the statue.

The princess in disguise went over to remove every crystal glowing in the strange pentagram on the ground. She distorted the shape and saved the bigger crystals inside a bag she carried, just in case. Without the complete figure on the floor, the shield that had prevented magic from manifesting inside the Evil Queen's prison ceased to contain the spell.

Magic was all Regina needed to break out of her imprisonment, and she had it right there with her. Emma's inner power was emanating from her and into the statue absorbing every bit of it, making the blonde feel suddenly weaker and dizzy. She fell on her knees as a loud crackling sound echoed in the cavern, making the merry men outside turn back their heads to look at the closed entrance to the cell.

_- "Is someone missing?"_ Robin asked his men.  
_- "I can't find Henry!"_ Another of the guys yelled.  
_- "Open it up! NOW!"_ Their leader ordered.

They tried with all their strength but they couldn't make the rock move again. Could the strength of only one man have made the difference before? Or was it something else that had helped them remove the rock earlier when they managed to get into the chilly cave? They asked themselves.

_- "You're not going to succeed. No matter how hard you try."_ The imp who had offered them gold for the statue appeared.  
_- "You… Was this part of your plan, imp?"_ Robin Hood questioned with disdain.  
_- "Rumplestiltskin is the name."_ The Dark One presented himself theatrically.  
_- "I don't care what your name is. I only care for my man who is trapped inside with only God knows what!"_ The courageous man yelled at him.  
_- "I would run while I still can if I were you."_ The imp said in a playful manner.

The merry men were holding out their knives and swords but Rumplestiltskin turned them into straw with a simple snapping of his fingers. They looked at their leader with confusion and fear. Robin Hood was perplexed and for the first time in his life he didn't know how to react, so he signaled his men to remain calm and move away from the cave. It was not cowardly to run for your life when black magic was involved and they really stood no chance against the Dark One.

_- "She's waking up!"_ Rumplestiltskin exclaimed.  
_- "Who is?"_ Robin Hood asked him.  
_- "My little monster! The Evil Queen as you might know her."_ The imp answered with amusement, clapping his hands with excitement.

Everyone looked at each other knowing who that person was, as many of them had lost family members during the war with the Dark Empress twenty-eight years ago.


	4. Darkness Prevails

**Darkness Prevails**

* * *

Regina's body changed back into her normal form, her limbs were hurting after many years of being held still but her mind was just as sharp as the day Snow and David dared to defy her with the incantation they cast upon her.

The brunette looked down at the handsome young man kneeling before her, she thought he was bowing in obedience to her and smirked as she leaned down to pick his chin with her hand and place a deep kiss on his lips. Emma blinked her eyes in surprise because this wasn't something she had been expecting and it was the first time she ever kissed another woman. Her mind was drifting since she was still weakened by the loss of magic she had suffered, but neither Regina nor the blonde knew it had been her sleeping power what awakened the Evil Queen.

_- "Thank you for helping me, my pet."_ The Evil Queen whispered over Emma's flushed lips.  
_- "What's your name?"_ Regina asked the blonde.  
_- "It's Em… Henry."_ The blonde remembered she was dressed up in her thief disguise.  
_- "Really?"_ The brunette asked again.  
_- "Yes… Why?"_ Emma answered.  
_- "That's my father's name."_ She told the blonde.

The brunette stretched her neck and walked toward the exit to the cave, she turned around to look at the man standing on the same spot she left him.

_- "Aren't you coming, dear? Or do I need to put a leash on you?"_ Regina said.  
_- "Huh… sure… Your Majesty."_ Emma answered and walked behind her.

Regina made the rock in front of her explode and clear the way out for them. At the other side, Robin and his merry men were mounting on their steeds to escape. The Evil Queen looked at them and moved her hand to summon a purple smoke that engulfed them and laughed as they started to spin inside the magical twister. Emma couldn't believe what she was seeing and she didn't want to see her friends hurt by the woman she had just brought back to life. So she jumped in front of Regina and grabbed the brunette's hand with a strong grip, catching her by surprise and making her stop playing with the terrified group of men.

_- "You'll have to go through me first."_ The blonde threatened.  
_- "Since when do ducks aim at vows?"_ Regina laughed.  
_- "Don't ruin my humble present, my little apprentice!"_ Rumplestiltskin yelled at Regina with amusement.  
_- "Your present? This reckless thief?" _Regina pointed at the blonde.  
_- "Well, that reckless thief just saved you. Did __**he**__ not?" _The Dark one said to her, marking the word "he" as he knew Henry's true identity.  
_- "How long has it been?"_ Regina asked him.  
_- "Twenty-eight years, dearie."_ Rumplestiltskin replied.  
_- "And you come just now? What kind of friend are you?"_ The brunette questioned resentful.  
_- "I did bring you a present. That's what counts."_ The imp said with no remorse.

Regina rolled her eyes with disgust and beckoned Henry to come closer to her. Emma followed against her better judgment and Regina slapped her in the face.

_- "That's for defying me."_ The brunette said before she grabbed Emma's face again and planted another sultry kiss to her lips._ "And this is for having enough… guts to do so." _She added.

Rumplestiltskin giggled, amused by what he was seeing. The brunette had no idea she was kissing her archenemies' daughter and this was too amusing for the evil imp.

_- "Well, I'll leave you and your pet now that you are free. You might want to visit some old friends next."_ He said before vanishing in a dark red mist.  
_- "I have a better idea."_ Regina murmured as her eyes traveled over her toy-boy's features.

A purple smoke swallowed both of them and in a matter of seconds, Mistress and pet were standing in the middle of Regina's bedchambers back in the dark castle.

_- "Place looks dusty."_ Henry nervously commented.  
_- "You're right about that."_ Regina said and snapped her fingers, making the place look shiny again.  
_- "Now, where were we?"_ The beautiful woman in black velvet asked her pet.  
_- "You said you had a better idea…" _The blonde mumbled.  
_- "That's right. Let's see if you have any useful skills, other than a sharp memory."_ Regina told her.  
_- "I'm good with swords and I can tell when people are lying."_ The nervous princess said.  
_- "Really? Let's see that. Ask me something."_ Regina was curious about him.  
_- "Are you going to kill me?"_ She asked.  
_- "That depends on how resourceful you turn out to be."_ Regina answered.  
_- "You need to improve your questions, dear."_ The dark lady added.  
_- "Yeah, have you ever been in Snow White's castle?"_ The blonde asked her.  
_- "Don't you ever mention that name again in my presence!"_ The brunette yelled at her pet.  
_- "Have you?"_ Emma insisted.  
_- "You really lack the ability to fear. Why do you care if I have been there?"_ Regina asked back.  
_- "Because I feel like I know you from before, but I don't know how."_ The young man revealed.

Regina looked closer at him. She looked deep into green eyes trying to see if she had indeed seen that face in the past, but this was the first time she saw Henry and he was too young to be an acquaintance from her youth. Even though she didn't recognize his features, she felt her heart pound against her ribcage again. She felt the same warmth that invaded her when she had her hand inside Snow's chest. Love? She had a vague idea of how that felt.

_- "I shall have some rest now. Leave my chambers."_ The brunette ordered.  
_- "But you haven't answered my…"_ Henry complained.  
_- "Have I not made myself clear?" _Regina interrupted.  
_- "Where should I go?"_ He asked.  
_- "Wherever. I don't care. Get out of my sight."_ Regina replied as she walked to her bed.  
_- "Lady, you're crazy."_ Emma thought in a loud voice, a bad habit she had.  
_- "Excuse me?"_ Regina turned around incredulously of what she heard.  
_- "You bring me here and then you throw me out. Just make up your mind, woman."_ The ruthless blonde carelessly spoke.  
_- "I could cut your tongue or rip out your heart, stupid brat!"_ The dark lady said, walking dangerously in direction of the blonde.  
_- "Try."_ Emma challenged.

Regina grinned with malice as she stretched her hand and pushed it into the reckless blonde's chest, but what happened next wasn't something she expected. Her hand failed to grab hold of the man's heart. It was difficult to even keep her hand still inside his chest.

_- "What are you?"_ Regina looked up from chest to the eyes of her earlier savior.  
_- "Human."_ Was Henry's answer.

Regina was in shock as this had never happened before but it was even more confusing how the reckless blonde seemed to be oblivious of what was going on. He either had no idea of how things were supposed to work or he had a card up his sleeve and Regina would for sure find out what it was.

The brunette slowly retrieved her hand looking at green eyes with mixed fear and awe. Emma felt the sudden urge to hold Regina close and she followed her instincts, grabbing the brunette by the waist and pulling the slender figure tight against her own. She looked into brown eyes with gentleness and leaned forward to trap the lady's crimson lips in a passionate kiss.

Regina was confused and had no idea how things were changing so fast and strangely for her. She was incapable of love, it was weakness and her mother had even cursed her to harden her heart and prevent it from ever housing such a feeling inside. But the lips pressed against hers were magically shattering the shell enclosing her darkened heart. She could only think about Daniel, her True Love while kissing the stranger's lips.

_- "What do you think you're doing?!" _Regina said after breaking the kiss that was rapidly escalating into something more.  
_- "Claiming what is mine."_ The blonde answered.  
_- "Pardon?"_ The brunette blinked her eyes in bewilderment.  
_- "Regina, it's me. Daniel."_ The blonde whispered.  
_- "What? But you died! Wait, is this some kind of joke?"_ She questioned.  
_- "Who died? What joke?"_ The blonde shook her head and asked.  
_- "You… Daniel."_ Regina replied with confusion.

Regina was even more confused than her pet, asHenry had no idea what they were talking about now. It was as if another person had been talking to her just seconds ago.

The brunette pushed Henry away and ordered him to sleep over one of the couches facing the hearth. She went to her own bed and tried to fall asleep but, given the circumstances, she couldn't manage to stop her mind from going on about the possibility of Daniel's soul being reborn inside the unruly blonde. Maybe she was being given a second chance after all.


	5. Second Chances

**Second Chances**

* * *

_After hours of turning around in bed, the brunette finally surrendered to sleep and drifted into a dream. She was in her garden looking at the apple tree her father had given her years ago. The old man came to her side and placed a gentle kiss to her cheek. He did not speak but she knew he was saying good-bye to her, as he was no longer amongst the living._

_"I love you daddy."_ Regina whispered in her sleep as tears rolled down the sides of her face. Emma heard the murmur, as she was half asleep, and came slowly to the side of Regina's bed. She noticed the wet tears on the sleeping beauty and felt bad for her. The blonde wiped a tear with her thumb and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on the corner of Regina's eye.

Emma didn't know why or how, but she was quickly starting to have strong feelings toward the Evil Queen she had heard of only in stories. Stories that spoke about a vicious sorceress who ripped out hearts and killed at sight, without ever regretting taking the lives of the poor souls that came across her path.

"How could you do such terrible things?" The blonde kept wondering inside her head. The way Regina looked sleeping wasn't the image of an evil witch looking for revenge. All she could see was a broken woman with a heavy sadness weighing on her soul and Emma wanted to be part of the solution. She believed in second chances and wasn't happy to know her parents had entrapped the dark lady with such a terrible incantation for twenty-eight years.

Regina woke up when the first rays of light filtered into her bedchambers and nearly jumped when she saw Henry sleeping by her feet. The blonde had been sitting on corner of her bed but fell asleep a few minutes before dawn. The brunette didn't know how to react to his intrusion but looking at the sleepy face filled her with a warmth she had missed for decades.

_- "Is the Queen's bed comfortable?"_ Regina raised her voice waking up Emma.  
_- "Huh? Hey… Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on your bed_!" The intruder apologized.  
_- "And what did you intend then?" _The brunette asked in a sultry voice.  
_- "You were talking in your sleep and I came to watch over you."_ The pet answered.  
_- "Really? And what did you hear?"_ The Mistress asked.  
_- "You were talking to your father."_ The blonde answered.

Regina's eyes filled with sadness and she evaded the green gaze trying to meet brown. The Queen of nothing got up from her bed and walked to a room beside hers. She beckoned her pet to follow after her and pointed to a big tub in the middle.

_- "I want it steaming with pristine water."_ Regina ordered.  
_- "Can't you like summon it with your magic?"_ The unruly blonde replied.

Regina's jaw dropped in disbelief, she had never gotten that kind of reply from her subjects and this wasn't the first time the blonde shown her untamable nature to the brunette.

_- "Do I need to break you like wild horse?"_ The Queen asked "him."  
_- "You can try."_ Henry answered, winking at the brunette.

Regina laughed at her pet's reply. His ruthlessness while annoying was also amusing to her. She had always liked strong spirited men and this was by far the most adventurous lad she had ever encountered.

_- "A strong man like you would have no problem carrying the buckets of water needed to fill my tub." _Regina raised her eyebrow at the blonde.  
_- "A powerful sorceress like you would have her bath ready in a blink of an eye, while it would take me an hour to fix your well needed bath." _Her subject said.  
_- "Excuse me?"_ Regina blushed at the thought she maybe smelled bad.  
_- "You haven't had one in 28 years, so yeah."_ Henry answered bluntly. _"It's not like you smell or anything! Is just that, I just figured… you know what I mean." _The blonde tried to make it sound better but failed.

Regina pursed her lips at the blonde and snapped her fingers, making her bathtub steam with hot crystalline water. She turned her back to "Henry" and started removing her silk robe. As sleeves slipped down her shoulders, she turned her head to look at her pet over her shoulder and beckoned him to come closer.

_- "Pick it up."_ The brunette said as she dropped the grey silk on the floor. Emma was perplexed looking at the nude figure dipping into the hot tub. She had only seen half naked women in the Rabbit Hole when they flashed their customers for a pair of coins, but the vision of the regal lady with perfect skin and curvy body was something that made Emma's veins pulse under her skin. Her face was flushed and she avoided looking in direction of the woman taking a steamy bath.

_- "I wouldn't have taken you for the shy type."_ Regina spoke to him.  
_- "There is a lot you don't know about me." _Henry told her while avoiding her gaze.  
_- "Perhaps I would like to."_ The regal lady whispered.

For someone with a heart of stone she was showing more emotion in the last few hours after breaking out of her imprisonment than she had ever shown in the decades prior to the enchantment that entrapped her. Cora's curse upon her daughter's heart still remained but the shell around her heart was quickly cracking with the rebel princess' mere presence.

Emma, being born out of True Love, emanated a special energy that made Regina feel secure with "him" by her side and it appeased her thirst for revenge. She hadn't noticed it was the magic coming from the blonde what had freed her from her stony cage. The only thing she would care to admit was that it amused her being constantly confronted by the unruly blonde that helped her get out of that wretched cave.

_- "Come here, you need not to fear."_ Regina called her pet.  
_- "Who said I was afraid?"_ The blonde said as he walked to the tub.

Emma leaned down as Regina beckoned with her finger and the brunette trapped her face in her hands and kissed the princess' lips. The Evil Queen tugged on Emma's vest and pulled her into the hot tub with her. The blonde whimpered as she dipped into the water. When Regina opened her eyes to see the messy blonde in the tub with her, she noticed something strange on Henry's face.

_- "What is this?"_ Regina raised her voice.  
_- "What is what?"_ Emma asked back.

Regina's fingers plucked at the fake beard that lost its grip on her face with the warm water that wet it. The Queen peeled it off her face and discovered what her pet's true identity was.

_- "You're a girl?"_ Regina said in shock.  
_- "Woman."_ Emma corrected her.

The brunette got out of her bath and wrapped herself with the silk robe laying on a chair. She was angry with the blonde for fooling her and even daring to claim she was "Daniel".

_- "I want you gone before I change my mind and take your worthless life with my own hands."_ Regina yelled.  
_- "You already tried but failed."_ The blonde yelled back at her as she got out of the tub as well.  
_- "If you don't leave I will destroy you, if it is the last thing I do."_ Regina threatened.  
_- "You won't."_ Emma muttered as she was standing very close to the brunette now.  
_- "What makes you so sure?"_ Regina asked with arrogance.  
_- "You wouldn't destroy your only chance at True Love."_ Emma said with conviction.  
_- "WHAT? My true love is dead and I suffered!"_ Regina yelled, trying to suppress the tears in her eyes.  
_- "But I'm not."_ Emma told her.

Emma took Regina's hand in hers and put it over her chest. The blonde told her she couldn't explain how but all she knew was that her feelings were true and she wanted to be given a chance to prove herself worthy of the Queen.

Regina was confused, her head was spinning and she had never considered the possibility of finding true love in another woman. The idea wasn't something unheard of in the realm but that kind of relationships were usually hidden from the public, as many of the residents in the fairyland were antiquated.

The brunette looked with hope into green eyes and sighed deeply, turning her gaze to the hand resting over Emma's heart and trying to free it from the blonde's firm grip.

_- "Regina, please."_ Emma whispered.  
_- "Leave me alone. Go back home." _The brunette ordered.  
_- "But I don't want to."_ Emma answered.  
_- "I didn't ask you."_ Regina told her.

The dark sorceress waved her hand and a purple mist covered the blonde, transporting her back to her own kingdom. Emma looked around and recognized the buildings surrounding her, she was standing in the middle of the plaza and grumpy came running to her when he saw her appear after the scary smoke faded away.

_- "Are you okay?" _The dwarf asked her.  
_- "I'm fine."_ She answered sharply.

Emma walked to the castle and entered her palace. Snow was watering some flowers in big pots by the foot of the stairs to the bedchambers when she saw Emma storming in and running furiously upstairs.

_- "That took less than I expected."_ Snow said to the maid helping her.  
_- "Please finish for me."_ She asked her servant.

The Queen walked up the stairs and went to her daughter's bedchamber. Snow knocked on the door but she received no answer from the princess, so she stepped inside and looked for the young woman to ask her what happened.

_- "Gosh, you are soaked!"_ Snow said.  
_- "Yeah, I took a bath."_ The princess answered.  
_- "You and your thief costume both."_ Her mother pointed out.  
_- "Happens."_ The blonde muttered as she looked for something dry.  
_- "Do you want to talk about it?"_ Snow asked her daughter.  
_- "I don't. But you will keep bringing it up, so let's get over with it now."_ Emma answered.  
_- "Why didn't you tell me about the statue hidden in a cave close to the troll bridge?"_ The blonde questioned her mother.  
_- "I was going to, when the time was right."_ Snow replied with surprise. She hadn't expected to have that conversation yet.

Snow White had thought it was best to leave some things buried in the past, and she had agreed with her husband that they would only reveal their secret to their daughter when they were elder and she was ready to rule the kingdom after them.

_- "How did you learn about it?"_ Snow asked the princess.  
_- "Hanging out with friends. That's how I know about the world outside these walls."_ The blonde told her mother.  
_- "Right. Your friends who steal from the crown."_ Snow bit back.  
_- "They wouldn't if wealth was better distributed."_ Emma muttered.  
_- "You think so? When the day comes you will rule the way you find best."_ Snow calmly told her daughter, even when she felt hurt by the complaint.  
- _"Sure I will. I wouldn't go around turning my enemies into statues."_ The blonde threw her poison at the Queen.  
_- "Emma! Don't you speak to me like that again."_ Snow raised her voice.  
_- "Or what? You will punish me like you did Regina?"_ Emma confronted her.  
_- "How do you know of this?"_ The brunette looked into her daughter's eyes with suspicion.  
_- "Because I saved her from your wicked jail!"_ The blonde yelled.  
_- "No… you didn't."_ Snow's eyes filled with fear.

Royal knights came running to talk to the queen bringing the awful news about the forbidden cave that had been emptied at night. They told the queen one of Robin Hood's men had confessed they were going to sell the statue to a wealthy imp who turned out to be Rumplestiltskin, but everything went wrong when one of their comrades stayed behind with the statue in the cavern.

Snow asked her subjects to prepare for war; they needed to be on guard in case Regina decided to attack. Emma was listening her mother speak while her father left with the knights to have everything ready for the upcoming battle.

_- "She is not going to hurt us."_ Emma muttered.  
_- "You don't know her."_ Snow reprimanded.  
_- "Maybe it's you who doesn't."_ The princess barked back.  
_- "And you do after spending a night with her?" _Her mother said with revulsion.  
_- "I love her!"_ Emma yelled at her mother.  
_- "Stop this nonsense!"_ Snow covered her ears and walked her way out of the chambers.

The Queen went to her bedchambers and asked for her husband's presence. David didn't take too long to come to her side after a maid said his wife was crying and wanted to talk with him urgently. Snow White told the King about her talk with their daughter and how the princess claimed to be in love with the Evil Queen and Charming suggested it might be another of Regina's tricks. They were convinced she had casted a spell on their daughter to make her fall blindly in love with her, but it made no sense if what the dark mistress wanted was revenge she would have killed her enemies' only child on the spot.


	6. The Dark Palace

**The Dark Palace**

* * *

Emma burst out of the palace in her royal knight armor. She took the best horse she possessed to venture into the woods looking for Regina's castle. The road to the dark castle wasn't easy to travel, as it housed endless traps that prevented anyone from coming near the Evil Queen's fortress.

Emma managed to escape most of them but she finally fell in one when she was getting closer to Regina's citadel. Her steed was injured after stepping on a fox trap that cut through flesh and caused it to fall on the ground missing his left hoof. Emma fell together with the mammal and rolled down the slope, getting caught between vines with poisonous thorns that moved with life twisting around her.

Regina was looking at the mirror when the inevitable happened. She was anxious waiting to see if Emma managed to escape from the deathly wreathe and prove herself worthy of the dark sorceress's affection. But minutes continued to pass and the blonde wasn't succeeding in her struggle with the tangled vines tightening around her.

Emma took a deep breath and looked up to the sky but there wasn't much light that could filter through the thick foliage of tall black trees. "Great, how are you going to escape this?" She asked herself. She was feeling dizzy with the effects of the poison in the thorns that scraped her face during the struggle.

The princess knight was falling unconscious when she had a blurry vision appear in front of her. It was a man with simple clothing that came to her side and whispered into her ear.

_- "Believe in your magic."_ The translucent figure said.  
_- "My magic? Who are you?"_ The blonde weakly asked.  
_- "Daniel."_ The spectral figure said before vanishing.

When everything seemed to be over and Regina was ready to come to Emma's rescue, a glow started to emanate from the girl tangled in vines. Her body floated in the air and a blue-white light burst from the woman's chest, pulverizing the deathly plant and setting her free.

Emma got on her feet and walked over to her prized steed. She intuitively hovered her hand over the injured leg and it was healed in a matter of seconds. She palmed the beast on its rear sending it back to her parents' castle.

Regina couldn't understand what she was seeing but she was relieved to see her knight in shiny armor come out victorious. Emma was the first person ever able to come this far through the Black Forest protecting her palace from intruders.

It wasn't long before Emma kicked the door open and came into the castle yelling Regina's name. She was walking up the stairs when a queer giggle distracted her.

_- "Your father's armor suits you well, princess!"_ The imp exclaimed cheerfully.  
_- "What do you want?"_ The blonde asked him.  
_- "I want to witness the final battle." _He said laughing.  
_- "You planned all of this. Why?"_ Emma muttered.  
_- "I just enjoy a tragic love story. Don't you?"_ He replied with amusement.  
_- "Rumplestiltskin… What are you doing in my palace?"_ Regina appeared.  
_- "I dropped by to salute my little apprentice and the princess."_ He told her.  
_- "What princess?"_ Regina frowned and raised her voice.  
_- "Well, the one and only child of Snow White and prrrrince Charming."_ The imp revealed as he presented Emma theatrically.

A dark red mist engulfed the blonde and changed her armor into Snow's wedding gown and her hair grew longer and curled up to complement her princess look. Regina looked at the beautiful blonde carefully and finally noticed the strong resemblance she had with both of her parents. Emma had her mother's chin and eyes, but was blonde and stubborn like her father.

_- "No way…"_ Regina said in a whisper.  
_- "Isn't this a __charming__ reunion!"_ The Dark One shouted.  
_- "How dare you trick me like that?"_ Regina said to Emma.  
_- "I'm not tricking you! I do love you!"_ Emma answered.  
_- "AH! True love's product has spoken."_ The imp declared between giggles.  
_- "Shut up, imp."_ Regina looked at her Master with disdain.  
_- "Ouch! You hurt my feelings, little monster!"_ Rumple cried out sarcastically.  
_- "Leave my home!"_ Regina ordered him as she threw a ball of fire his way.  
_- "Really dearie? Who taught you those manners? Oops! It was me."_ He playfully said whilst catching the ball in his hand and making it turn to smoke.  
_- "Don't forget my graduation lesson. How to rip out a heart."_ The imp told her last before he vanished in a blood-tinted smoke. The Dark One didn't know she had tried before without success.

Regina couldn't stand the sight of Snow White's wedding dress and waved her hand to turn Emma back into her knight armor. The brunette sighed and looked at the princess without saying anything.

_- "My name is Emma, by the way."_ The blonde told her.  
_- "And you're telling me this now because…?" _Regina asked.  
_- "Because you wanted to get to know me and here I am." _Emma reached out to take her hands.  
_- "Stop that! You will fool me no more."_ Regina retrieved them.  
_- "Haven't I proven to you I'm worthy of a second chance?"_ Emma muttered.  
_- "You did… but your parents are my enemies and so you will be." _Regina answered.  
_- "Regina, please. Can't you forgive them and be happy with me?"_ Emma pleaded.

The brunette started to think about the possibility of allowing herself to feel something again and with the shield already shattering around her heart she thought it might even pay both ways. If she were to become Snow's daughter's Mistress, that would be the worst thing that could ever happen to the Queen of the Enchanted Forest. But more than revenge, she just wanted to feel loved again.

_- "I never had a second chance."_ The brunette murmured.  
_- "See? This is ours, Regina!"_ Emma was positive.  
_- "I hope you're right."_ Regina said as tears dropped down her cheeks.

Emma smiled warmly and pulled Regina closer to her, she wrapped her arms around the beautiful brunette and slowly leaned for a kiss that Regina was eager to receive. They kissed innocently and with the power of the Savior, the last crack on Regina's heart broke the curse Cora had put on her daughter.

Regina was glowing in a golden light as the incantation abandoned her hardened heart. She looked at Emma in surprise and felt a torrent of emotion rush inside her no longer empty heart. It was love, True Love, what she felt for the woman standing close to her. Regina remembered it now and was thankful for allowing the blonde to convince her into giving up her old hatred.

Meanwhile, Rumplestiltskin was in his own castle looking at the image reflected in his visions. He was furious breaking everything he had on sight. His plan had failed and he would need to find another puppet to manipulate into casting the curse for him.


	7. Curse the Fairy

**Curse the Fairy**

* * *

Rumplestiltskin had first failed when Snow and David trapped the Evil Queen in the form of a statue for twenty-eight years. His visions hadn't prevented him for that. He had the pieces to the puzzle but he didn't place them in the correct order.

Regina's father had died during the time the Evil Queen had been trapped and he was the only person left in the fairy world that the dark sorceress loved, as her mother had been banished to Wonderland through Rumplestiltskin's magical mirror. Without the heart of the person she loved most, Regina wouldn't be able to cast her mentor's curse.

His plan had almost been perfect. Getting the child of Snow White to free Regina from the cave, to make her grow feelings for her and later disappoint her with her true identity. That would have gotten the Evil Queen motivated to rip out her heart and casting the curse the Dark One procured for her revenge, but the Blue Fairy outwitted him when she created the spell for the royal family.

_- "Who would have thought Snow's child would be the Evil Queen's true love!" _He kept screaming while destroying his palace.  
- _"Do you think you can defeat me?"_ The Dark One yelled at the stars in the sky from his broken window.  
_- "I swear I will kill the blue wench!"_ Rumplestiltskin screamed furiously.

Cora had denied the Dark One to bear his child and his revenge was to use her own daughter to send her into another dimension. Without Cora, Rumplestiltskin could finally have the perfect puppet to cast the curse that would bring him to the land where his son had escaped to with the help of the Blue Fairy.

His mistake was he didn't consider the possibility of True Love being able to break Cora's curse on his apprentice. To think Regina's heart could still be saved wasn't something that crossed his mind and now he was back to the starting point. He had to look for a new apprentice or manage somehow to get Regina into casting his curse, because he couldn't rip out the heart of the thing he loved most.

The Dark One was pacing back and forth on the same line in a hallway when Belle finally dared to come to his side. She had been observing him as he destroyed the place she worked hard to keep spotless, but she didn't mind the mess. All the auburn haired beauty wanted was to reach out to him and help him calm down for a moment. She knew he wanted to find his son but the end didn't justify the means. They would find another way, she was sure.

_- "Rumple, we will find another way."_ Belle told him as she placed a hand on his shoulder.  
_- "How exactly? Let me guess… You think we will find it in your foolish books." _The imp laughed at her.

The sweet lady felt her heart broken by the hurtful comment her Master threw at her. She was someone who could only manage enough sarcasm but this was getting to the point where even she had to draw a line with the Dark One.

_- "You won't flush your anger on me again, Rumple." _The blue-eyed said between sobs.  
_- "I told you you were free to go years ago."_ He answered with no remorse.  
_- "Fine. If this is what you really want!"_ The woman in yellow dress walked away.  
_- "Fine!"_ The imp yelled behind her.  
_- "You will always be lonely because you're a coward who won't face life without magic!" _Belled turned back and yelled.  
_- "Don't forget to close the door on your way out, dearie!"_ Rumplestiltskin yelled back.

The beauty pouted angrily and left the beast she had for Master alone in his ruined palace.

Belle moved through the forest without fear, as she knew the lands like the palm of her hand. She decided to rest by the side of the river, as she was feeling dizzy and needed to recover. She was splashing some water to her face when the Blue Fairy came flying her way.

_- "I'm glad you're finally free from that monster."_ Blue told her.  
_- "He is not a monster. He is just… misguided." _Belle protested.  
_- "Do you still see good in him?"_ The fairy asked bewildered.  
_- "I… I do."_ Belle hesitated.  
_- "I believe in you, Yellow."_ The Blue Fairy said.  
_- "And I believe in him."_ The auburn haired replied.

The Blue Fairy nodded with disappointment and started to fly up into the sky again, leaving the lady in yellow dress pensively looking at her image reflected on the water. The full moon was shining brightly upon her and she looked up to see the mystical glow with watery eyes.

Belle shook her shoulders and translucent wings slowly emerged from behind her. It had been decades since she last summoned her wings to fly like the fairy she had been born as. Her glowing wings began to flutter and her body started to levitate with difficulty, as her magical limbs hadn't been used in years.

* * *

(Flashback)

The Yellow Fairy had been Rumple's Father's godmother but she was never able to satisfy his greed. She had given him advice and knowledge to be a good workingman but he wanted the easy way out of his problems. Belle didn't believe in granting wishes born out of individualism and greed, so she had never supplied the man with the riches he demanded. Magic should only be used as the last resort, she kept telling him.

Blue warned Yellow about Malcolm but Belle had the naïve idea that everyone could still hold a spark of light inside their hearts, no matter the darkness surrounding them. She believed everyone could be saved and so she pleaded to the Blue Fairy for a test to prove the thief worthy of a second chance. The Blue fairy provided her with a magical bean that Belle would give to the spinsters taking care of young Rumplestiltskin, while his father was gambling in the streets. The test would reveal the true nature of the self-centered man and prove if he was worthy of keeping his fairy godmother but Malcom failed to pass the test, as he chose Neverland for his new domain and traded youth on exchange of his son.

The heavy weight of leaving Rumplestiltskin fatherless weighed on the Yellow Fairy's conscience. She vowed to herself she would make sure she brought a happy ending his way but the unraveling of events lead Rumple astray, until he became the Dark One. She felt responsible for his choices in life and that was why she pleaded to the Blue fairy about living as a human until she could undo Rumplestiltskin's curse.

In the Kingdom where Rumplestiltskin met Belle, the fairies had made an agreement with the royals to play along with the plan they had designed to undo the Dark One. The Yellow Fairy would pose as the King's daughter and leave with Rumplestiltskin as the price to pay for winning the war through black magic. They had nothing to loose and all to win, so they accepted and hid their daughter to use the fae as the trophy to trade.

* * *

(Present Time)

Belle was enjoying her first flight after decades. She was looking at the forest from above when Nova came to join her in her flight.

_- "How does it feel?" _Nova asked her  
_- "Wonderful!"_ Yellow answered.  
_- "I know, right!"_ The pink fairy said.  
_- "Are you coming back with us?"_ Nova asked Belle.  
_- "I'm not sure…"_ Yellow was hesitant.  
_- "You already left Rumple's fortress… Why not come home?"_ Nova asked with hope.  
_- "I haven't finished my task."_ Belle answered with concern.  
_- "Do you love him?"_ The innocent fairy asked.  
_- "I do."_ Belle answered.  
_- "Time heals all wounds, trust me, I know."_ Nova told her with empathy.

The pink fairy remembered her love for Dreamy but she had been forbidden from staying in the realm with the dwarf, as she had a bright future ahead of her in the fairy realm. She missed her first love but she had matured and could see now that work as a fairy was a selfless act of love and it was worth sacrificing her own happy ending if it brought hundreds for the generations to come.


	8. The Stable Boy

**The Stable Boy**

* * *

At the Dark Castle, Emma and Regina were sitting by the hearth talking about how they would face the Savior's parents to tell them about their new relationship. Regina wasn't fond of the idea of having Snow and Charming as her parents in law but if that was the price to pay in order to have Emma by her side she was willing to endure such a curse.

They had gone through a bottle of apple cider when Emma gathered the courage to bring up a topic Regina was very sensitive talking about.

_- "Who is Daniel?" _Emma asked her.  
_- "You should know better than me since you claimed to be him, dear."_ Regina replied.  
_- "When did I do that?"_ Emma asked with confusion.  
_- "That time when you kissed me after I failed to rip out your heart." _The brunette frowned.  
_- "I don't remember doing that."_ Emma mumbled.  
_- "Just leave it in the past." _Regina told her.  
_- "I saw him."_ The blonde shared.  
_- "Where?"_ Regina asked with anxiety.  
_- "In the forest, before I broke free of your poisonous vines." _Emma said raising an eyebrow.  
_- "That's not possible." _Regina was puzzled.  
_- "He came to me and told me to believe in my magic."_ The Savior told her.  
_- "Emma, he's dead and I have his body in a crystal coffin."_ Regina revealed her secret.  
_- "Fancy… Wait, why would you?" _Emma was perplexed.  
_- "He was my True Love and my mother and your grandfather murdered him." _Regina said as tears quickly gathered in her eyes with rage.  
_- "WHAT? But… it doesn't make sense." _Emma responded, frowning at the knowledge.  
_- "My mother wanted me to be Queen and Leopold was obsessed with me but I refused, so they punished me by destroying the only chance I had at True Love." _The brunette said weeping.

Regina was shedding the tears she had kept prisoner inside her soul for countless years. A heart of stone had never been able to feel the loss the way she was meant to. She mentally suffered but there was no ache in her heart, only the idea of how it used to feel. The only emotion she could embrace was rage. That had been her curse for showing weakness to her mother.

_- "So that's why you wanted to take away our happy endings." _Emma mumbled.  
_- "Anger was all I had! Love is weakness."_ Regina muttered.  
_- "No. It is strength."_ Emma corrected her. _"You can't continue believing what your mother told you."_ The blonde continued.  
_- "I know."_ The brunette nodded in agreement.

They were silent for a minute and it was making both of them uneasy, so Emma decided to pick up with the previous subject.

_- "Can you show me where you keep him?"_ Emma asked her.

Regina looked at Emma and then sighed deeply. She left her glass of cider over the table and asked the blonde to follow after her. They walked into the black forest and Regina summoned a secret road of stones that emerged from the earth.

_- "Don't step outside these stones."_ Regina ordered.  
_- "Okay."_ Emma nodded understanding dangerous traps could kill her if she did.

They followed the stone path that lead them to a mausoleum deep inside the dangerous forest that protected Regina's fortress. The Evil Queen took out her skeleton keys to open the gate and then moved her father's grave to reveal a secret vault.

They descended through the stairs and Regina guided the way toward the room housing Daniel's enchanted tomb. Emma was perplexed looking at the man who seemed to be sleeping inside a crystal box that kept him from deteriorating.

_- "This is the man I saw." _Emma murmured.  
_- "Are you sure?" _Regina questioned.  
_- "I swear!"_ The blonde insisted.

Emma walked closer to the grave and looked carefully at Daniel. She recalled seeing him in dreams during her childhood but she never paid mind to them, as they were only that. She remembered one in particular though, one she shared with her mother and made the Queen frown in discomfort and send her back to bed without a kiss to her forehead.

_Emma was inside a stable she had never been before and saw a young lady run to her and begged her to elope. They were kissing when a little girl interrupted them saying she would tell her father._

Emma told her mother she was a tall man in her dream and he loved the brunette he was promising to marry. The princess must have not been over nine years old when she talked about her dream with her mother.

_- "I used to see him in my dreams."_ Emma shared with Regina.  
_- "But it was as if I was inside his body, seeing through his eyes."_ She continued.  
_- "I don't know what to tell you, Emma."_ Regina responded.  
_- "I think it was you the girl I kept seeing with him." _The blonde told her.  
_- "You dreamed about me too?"_ Regina was surprised.  
_- "I think so. I remember I gave her a gold ring when I proposed."_ Emma said remembering the piece of jewelry.  
_- "How is this possible?"_ Regina gaped.

The brunette summoned a jewelry box with her magic. She opened it in front of Emma and asked her to choose which was the ring she had seen in her dreams. The blonde blinked at the test she was being put under and then focused her eyes over the assortment of rings inside the box. She looked carefully and then picked up the one she was familiar with.

_- "This is it!"_ Emma said with a bright smile.

Regina looked at her with surprise and tears formed in her eyes, seeing the ring Daniel had given her being held up by the curly haired blonde.

_- "I never thought souls could reincarnate and keep their memories of a past life fresh."_ Regina said to her loved one.  
_- "Look, I don't know if I am him but I know what I feel for you is real."_ Emma told her._"And I don't want you to be with me only because I could be Daniel." _She added.  
_- "This is too much for me to handle right now, Emma."_ Regina admitted.  
_- "What do you mean to tell me?"_ Emma worried with Regina's voice tone.  
_- "I need time."_ The brunette answered.  
_- "NO!"_ Emma protested.

Regina frowned as she pressed the ring against her lips. She was confused by all the information she had just received and didn't know how to react after the possibility or fact that Emma could be housing Daniel's soul.

_- "I'm still your True Love, Regina!"_ Emma raised her voice. _"Whether I'm Daniel or just Emma."_ She added.  
_- "Emma… I… I'm not sure if us is right." _Regina said as she looked away to hide her tears.  
_- "Love is always right." _Emma muttered.  
_- "It's easy for you to say that! You are True Love's product." _The brunette turned around to complain.

Emma sighed deeply and decided to refrain from continuing the discussion. It wasn't even a day into their romance and they were already having their first argument. What kind of relationship was going to wait ahead of them if all they did was fight to see who was right; she kept wondering. Maybe Regina was right and it wasn't meant to be, she feared.


	9. True Love's Curse

**True Love's Curse**

* * *

A couple of minutes passed after the brunette ranted about Emma's origin. Silence had settled in the vault and both women were avoiding each other's eyes.

_- "Emma, I'm sorry. I don't know how to love very well." _Regina finally said.

The Savior felt relieved to hear her say that and walked closer to the brunette to embrace her. They shared a kiss and when Emma opened her eyes she saw Regina had transported them back to her bedchambers. The blonde smiled playfully at her beloved and rolled a finger over the brunette's black diamond necklace.

_- "So…?" _Emma mumbled.  
_- "So what?" _Regina raised an eyebrow, as she didn't particularly enjoy riddles.  
_- "Will the Mistress play with her pet?" _Emma grinned mischievously remembering her previously given title.  
_- "Oh, you are way more than a pet to me, Emma." _Regina frowned in disgust.  
_- "Can't you ever play along, Regina? Jeez… Relax."_ Emma whined.  
_- "Of course I can play, but I'm not sure you can handle me, dear." _The brunette teased.  
_- "Try me. I always pass your tests, anyway."_ The blonde proudly pointed out.  
_- "Amateur's luck." _Regina laughed.  
_- "I'll show you just how amateur I am!"_ Emma threatened.

Regina was amused as the blonde kept chasing her around the room. Whenever Emma thought she had her in her grasp, the brunette vanished in a purple mist and appeared behind the blonde or at the other side of the room.

_- "Unfair! You're playing dirty!" _Emma complained.  
_- "I'm pretty sure that's the way you like it."_ Regina answered with a wink.  
_- "Is that how we're gonna roll? Ok, I can keep up." _Emma faked anger.

The blonde went to grab a bag she had carried along with her on the journey to the Dark Palace. She took something from inside and continued to chase after Regina, who was curious about what her lover might have in mind. Emma finally caught the cheating brunette. She threw her in bed and quickly held out one of the glowing crystals she found in the cave with her. The brunette was unable to summon her magic to vanish from the blonde's trap and then noticed her Savior placing an array of glowing stones in a circle around her bed.

_- "If this is your idea of fun, let me tell you I'm not amused."_ Regina angrily said.  
_- "Well, you were right. I like to play dirty."_ Emma mischievously replied.  
_- "Really now?"_ Regina was partially annoyed and amused.

Emma hopped onto bed and pinned down Regina. She straddled the brunette and leaned down to whisper into her ear.

_- "I knew these would come in handy."_ Emma said sensually.

Regina was trapped without her magic again and while she hated those rocks for imprisoning her before, this time it was under different circumstances and she might even enjoy it. She felt her temperature rise when Emma's soft lips caressed her neck.

_- "I guess I'm now learning just how resourceful you are."_ Regina said to her.  
_- "I haven't even begun yet."_ The blonde's words slipped out in a purr.  
_- "Hmm…" _Regina moaned in anticipation.  
_- "Emma! What are you doing?" _King David yelled at her.

Emma rolled off Regina and tried to fix her hair as she walked to meet her father by the entrance to the chambers.

_- "How did you get here?"_ The princess asked.  
_- "I followed after the steed that came back without his rider." _He answered sharply.  
_- "But… it's dangerous out there."_ Emma was surprised to see her father managed to avoid Regina's traps.  
_- "It is not impossible."_ He muttered.

It wasn't surprising that father and daughter were able to come through the Black Forest alive. They were the best warriors in their land and if they could slay dragons they could certainly survive Regina's tests to tell the tale.

_- "Sorry to interrupt your family reunion but could you free me now, Emma?"_ The brunette yelled from her bed.  
_- "AH! Sorry, I almost forgot."_ Emma jumped to Regina's side and picked the crystals to set them aside."  
_- "Thank you."_ Regina said through tight lips.  
_- "Emma, this is not how we raised you."_ David reprimanded unable to hide his blushing.  
_- "Seriously? I'm twenty-eight, father."_ Emma muttered.  
_- "Look, I was concerned about your safety and that's why I came here."_ David spoke.  
_- "You can see I'm fine. Why don't you tell my mom and stop this nonsense."_ The blonde was annoyed by the suggestion that Regina would be capable of hurting her.

David looked at his daughter and then to Regina. He knew Emma was in no danger with her and sighed with relief, as he could feel something had slightly changed in the brunette, or at least he hoped so.

_- "I think you can see I wouldn't hurt Emma."_ Regina decided to speak. _"But you, in the other hand, I would enjoy tearing apart after what you did to me." _The brunette's voice was threatening.

Regina stretched her fingers and grinned maliciously at the King as she summoned the thorn vines that had entrapped Emma in the forest. She was tightening them around him when Emma yelled at her.

_- "Hey! What are you doing?"_ Emma frowned at Regina.  
_- "Enjoying my revenge now that I can."_ She answered.  
_- "Emma, are you sure you want to stay with this monster?"_ David yelled.  
_- "Both of you STOP!" _Emma raised her voice.

A dangerous wind burst inside the chambers, windows shattered as everything twisted around the Savior. It was Emma's magic manifesting through rage. Regina and David looked with shock at the princess as she pulverized the vines around his father with only looking at them. Emma turned to face Regina and extended out her arm, she opened her hand to summon the same vines that captured her father before but this time around her lover's body.

_- "You will never EVER do that again or I will destroy you, if it takes my happy ending by doing so."_ Emma told her.

Regina was astonished, as the Savior's power was bigger than she had imagined. The brunette tried to free herself from the blonde's magical grip but she couldn't and she felt fear for the second time with her lover. Not only could her heart not be ripped out, but she also had powers beyond measure or control.

_- "Emma!"_ His father yelled at her as he put his hand over the blonde's shoulder._ "This isn't like you." _He said while shaking her out of trance.

Emma's eyes blinked and she saw how her hand was guiding the vines into tightening around her lover floating in the air. She snapped out of her strange episode and run to catch the brunette in her arms.

_- "Oh my God, I'm sorry!" _Emma cried as she hugged Regina tightly.  
_- "I'm not."_ Regina muttered as she pushed the blonde away from her.  
_- "I wasn't going to kill him, just so you know."_ Regina said with anger.  
_- "It sure was convincing, Regina."_ Emma responded.  
_- "It was just a warning."_ The brunette mumbled.  
_- "Emma, will you stay or come back home with me?"_ Her father interrupted.  
_- "She goes home."_ Regina answered for her.  
_- "Hey! You can't choose for me." _Emma complained feeling hurt.  
_- "You did when you decided to attack me." _Regina was furious.  
_- "Please forgive me, Regina. I don't know what got me!"_ The blonde cried out.  
_- "Off you go, both."_ Were the last words Emma heard from her True Love.

Regina's signature smoke swallowed father and daughter transporting them back to their own castle.

_- "Shit! I really hate this trick."_ Emma whined.  
_- "Emma!" _Snow White screamed as she ran to her side.  
_- "I'm so happy you chose us over that witch!"_ Her mother said with joy.  
_- "That witch, as you call her, is who sent me back against my will. Now please excuse me." _The blonde said with hostility.  
_- "Where are you going?"_ Her mother screamed watching the blonde storm out again.  
_- "Back!"_ The blonde yelled slamming the door behind her.  
_- "She just won't give up."_ Snow said to her husband with disappointment.  
_- "She will always find her."_ David told his wife.  
_- "Hey, that's our motto!"_ Snow complained.  
_- "True Love seems to be our curse, Snow."_ David smiled and planted a kiss on his wife's forehead.

Snow looked into her husband's eyes and nodded in agreement. The idea of the Evil Queen being their only daughter's True Love was a bitter drink to swallow. "How could this have happened?" She kept wondering inside her head.


	10. Old Habits

**Old Habits**

* * *

Regina was back in her secret vault looking inside a treasure chest that held different types of containers with ingredients for her dark sorcery. She closed the chest and walked over to a niche where a small box rested in the middle of the sacred place. The sorceress retrieved a scroll from inside the box and gave it a thoughtful look, reading the list of ingredients needed to cast such a curse.

She had everything needed except for one ingredient; the heart of the thing she loved most. She frowned thinking about it, troubled by having to rip out Emma's heart.

_- "I can't do it."_ Regina mumbled.  
_- "Of course you can, dearie!"_ A voice came from behind her.  
_- "Rumplestiltskin. You come uninvited, as always."_ The brunette turned around.  
_- "You have dark circles under your eyes, dearie."_ The Dark One pointed at her. _"Look what True Love is doing to you." _Her mentor commented with sarcasm.  
_- "What do you want?" _Regina raised her voice with anger.  
_- "I'm just checking on my little apprentice, can I not?"_ He replied with innocence.  
_- "I can't rip out Emma's heart." _Regina said to him.  
_- "Don't let her false love confuse you, dearie." _Rumplestiltskin told her.  
_- "No, I mean I CAN'T rip out her heart. Why?" _She asked her mentor.  
_- "Well, that's interesting. Are you sure you did it correctly?" _The imp asked.  
_- "Of course I did, but I couldn't grab hold of it and it was difficult to keep my hand inside her chest."_ The brunette explained.

The Dark One kept walking around the room thinking about what could possibly be wrong. He had some ideas but finally the answer struck him like a thunder.

_- "The blue wench!" _Rumplestiltskin was furious again.  
_- "You mean the Blue Fairy?" _Regina came closer to him.  
_- "Of course! That bitch can't keep her wand out of my business."_ The Dark One said in a bark.  
_- "Your business? I thought this was MY business." _Regina focused on the imp.  
_- "Regina, you're my brightest apprentice! I only want you to succeed in your revenge." _The Dark One quickly answered.  
_- "Is that so?" _Regina wasn't convinced.  
_- "Of course it is! Why else would I have come back to free you from your stony cage?"_ He assured her.  
_- "Fine." _Regina muttered.

After having her encounter with Emma, anger was getting the best of Regina. Years of rage and darkening her heart had taken its toll and old habits were hard to break for the brunette. It seemed as though not even True Love could save her in the end.

They went on with theories of how they should proceed with the next step. Ripping out Emma's heart was impossible for the brunette, but every spell had an undoing; the mentor assured his apprentice. The tricky part was to find Emma's.

One of the mirrors hanging in the walls started to glow and the genie trapped inside warned Regina about a guest in her palace. The image of Emma running around the hallways yelling Regina's name was displayed and both mentor and apprentice looked at each other without needing to voice their deal. The Dark One vanished and returned to his castle, just as Regina appeared in her own to meet the stubborn princess.

_- "I believe you were banned from my fortress."_ Regina yelled from behind her.  
_- "We need to talk." _Emma said to her.  
_- "I'm all ears, princess."_ The brunette replied while looking at her manicure uninterested in the blonde.  
_- "Look, I'm sorry about earlier." _The blonde said remorseful.  
_- "I've heard that before. Tell me something I don't already know." _Regina said with disdain.  
_- "Regina, please. Give me another chance?"_ Emma begged.  
_- "You just won't give up, will you?"_ The brunette half-heartedly laughed.  
_- "Never. I will always find you."_ Emma honestly assured her.  
_- "Right. That thing that runs in the Charmings linage." _Regina felt disgusted.  
_- "I love you, Regina." _Emma cried out.  
_- "Lies! You just want to use me and save your family from their punishment."_ The brunette yelled.

Emma rolled her eyes and sighed. It would be one of those discussions she had always tried to evade in her life. She usually managed to escape whenever a man came with a love confession, but a few times she had to break their hearts directly and hated their begging for a second chance. She always found them "not good enough" for her and being the one getting rejected this time was giving her a new perspective. "Payback is a bitch." She thought to herself.

Regina was a piece of work; she had a keen mind and a sharp tongue to complement it. She always knew the right words to say in order to cause more damage than any weapon that cut through flesh. Emma didn't really want to face her but the strong feelings she had for the brunette obligated her to endure whatever Regina might throw her way and she needed to come up with the right offer.

_- "Is there any way I can prove my love to you?"_ Emma said softly.

Regina raised an eyebrow and twitched her lips. Her brain was quickly gearing the answer to go with her plan and the blonde had put herself right in the spot were mentor and apprentice wanted her.

_- "Give me your heart." _Regina said and flashed a devilish smile.  
_- "What?"_ Emma shook her head in confusion.  
_- "Do you trust me?"_ Regina questioned.  
_- "I guess… I do."_ Emma answered nervously.  
_- "Emma, there can't be love without trust."_ Regina said with a soft voice, placing a hand delicately over her arm.

The Evil Queen came closer to her princess pet, she caressed Emma's cheek with the back of her hand and looked deep into green eyes. Regina was a mistress of manipulation, just like her mother, and performed her saddest gaze upon the blonde falling victim of her game.

_- "I don't know how to do that." _Emma answered with honesty.  
_- "It's fine, Emma. I believe you and I'm sorry for testing you."_ Regina whispered with a sad voice.  
_- "I will do it. I want to prove it to you."_ Emma insisted.  
_- "You don't have to. I already said…" _Regina was talking when Emma interrupted.  
_- "I'm doing it! I want you never to doubt me again." _Emma firmly said.

Regina applauded herself mentally; she was proud of the manipulation skills she learned from Cora. She let tears stream down her face adding the final touch to her performance. Emma couldn't stand seeing her love cry and didn't hesitate to hug her tightly. The blonde kissed crimson lips with despair and didn't let go of her. Regina had mixed feelings of pride in her success but she also felt guilty for playing with the other girl's feelings. She had no doubt now that Emma did indeed love her and she was troubled once again about casting the curse.

The brunette felt her walls break in the entrapment of her Savior's embrace. She remembered Cora's words: "Love is weakness", as the princess continued to kiss her but she didn't really want to fight against what she was feeling that moment. Giving into Emma's pure display of love filled her with emotions she had been deprived of, so she told herself she would let her win this time.

Regina's lips were parted by her lover's slithering tongue. What had started like and innocent kiss was slowly escalating into a more vibrant display of passion. Emma's smooth thieving techniques were proving their expertise, as she had managed to ease Regina's sleeves down her shoulders to roll her lips over olive skin without the brunette's realization. It was the wet sensation of Emma's tongue over her collarbone what made her aware and blush for a first time.

Daniel was no longer the first thought in her mind when she felt the heat of love rise in her body; it was blonde curls and green eyes all she could think and yearn for now. Regina succumbed in Emma's strong arms and let herself be carried to bed by the person that seemed to have always been meant to be her life partner.


	11. The Green Fairy

**The Green Fairy**

* * *

The night was quiet and serenity was all what Regina could feel in her soul. The insatiable thirst for vengeance and rage had vanished with the company of the blonde sleeping beside her. Emma's breathing woke the brunette in the middle of her sleep, as having someone in her bed wasn't something ordinary.

Regina had never shared her bed with anyone before, not even with the only pet she possessed before Emma. The huntsman always had to leave a few minutes after playing with his Mistress, because that was the way the Evil Queen wanted it. Getting close to someone wasn't going to lead her astray from her goal to cast a curse upon the Enchanted Forest denizens.

Regina got up from bed and covered her body with a cream camisole she still had from her youth. It was an innocent looking piece that she hadn't worn in years, but somehow she felt like it fit her mood this time.

Regina walked to her balcony and her gaze got lost in the sky looking at the beautiful stars shimmering brightly above the Dark Palace. She had never bothered to pay attention before to them until this night that showed her a glimpse of heaven in her own bed.

A small light started moving in the sky, it came flying to the brunette looking with curios eyes. The little sparkle turned into a girl next to her and Regina was surprised to see a green fairy come to meet her.

_- "Hello, Regina!"_ The Green Fairy cheerfully greeted.  
_- "Excuse me, do I know you?"_ The brunette asked with confusion.  
_- "I'm Tinker Bell!_ Your fairy godmother." The fairy bowed and smiled brightly.  
_- "I never thought someone like me could have one."_ Regina responded with surprise.  
_- "Well, you do!"_ Tinker Bell assured her with joy.  
_- "Where have you been all these years?"_ Regina complained.  
_- "Fighting to see you! I was forbidden to visit you because of the Dark One."_ The blonde answered with worry.  
_- "And what changed now?"_ Regina asked.  
_- "You did, Regina! Haven't you noticed?"_ The fairy exclaimed.  
_- "Me?"_ Regina was puzzled.  
_- "True Love, Regina! You're glowing with it."_ Tinker Bell told her.

Regina tried to hide her blush from the fae; she looked in direction of her bed to see Emma sleeping soundly and smiled warmly with the vision.

_- "But you really need to get away from your mentor." _The fairy's tone was secretive.  
_- "Why? What's going to happen, Tinker Bell?"_ Regina asked with curiosity.  
_- "He will destroy your happy ending." _The blonde said with worry.  
_- "My happy ending is Snow and Charming's heads on a plate."_ Regina muttered.  
_- "No, Regina! You can't continue looking for revenge."_ Tinker Bell said with disappointment.  
_- "Emma IS your happy ending. If you hurt her family, the only one you will destroy is yourself. Please think about it."_ The fairy said before flying back to her realm.

Tinker Bell's words left Regina pensive. She felt in her gut that the green fairy was right but she really wanted to make Snow and Charming pay for trapping her in the spell that turned her to stone for nearly three decades. She was conflicted about her True Love being her worst enemies' daughter. What a wicked fate she had, the brunette thought.

* * *

The Green Fairy arrived in her realm and was greeted by the Blue Fairy, who wasn't happy about her apprentice's disobedience.

_- "Green! You know you are forbidden from seeing Regina."_ Blue reprimanded.  
_- "It's Tinker Bell. And I had to warn her!"_ The blonde girl replied.  
_- "You're lucky to come back alive, given who Regina's mentor is."_ Blue scolded her.  
_- "But she's not the Dark One. She's changed with True Love!"_ Tinker Bell defended her protégée.  
_- "About that… What were you thinking, Green?"_ Blue asked with mixed anger and worry.  
_- "I don't know what you mean?" _The Green Fairy looked away.  
_- "I know it was you who sprinkled pixie dust over Snow's newborn that day."_ Blue refreshed her memory.  
_- "I thought it had been a boy…"_ The blonde tried to justify.  
_- "That still doesn't make it right, Green."_ Blue sighed with disappointment.  
_- "Everyone deserves a second chance!" _Tinker Bell protested.  
_- "And making the Savior the Evil Queen's true love seemed logic to you, Tinker Bell?" _Blue snapped.  
_- "Of course! Because True Love can break any curse."_ Tinker Bell had the right answer.  
_- "I hope you chose right, Tink."_ The Blue Fairy said before flying away.

* * *

Back in the Dark Palace Regina couldn't fall asleep again, as she kept hearing Tinker Bell's words inside her head. She knew Rumplestiltskin couldn't be trusted and she remembered how he went mad about the Blue Fairy meddling with his business. It was as if the curse was something he desperately needed to be cast.

But Regina couldn't think about any reasons why the Dark One would want to be cursed together with the rest of the residents of their fairytale world and come to a land without magic. It made no sense. He was the most powerful warlock in the realm and there was no logic in giving up what he treasured most: magic.

There was more that kept Regina awake and feeling conflicted about her new situation. She wanted with all her being to make her enemies suffer eternally, but her love for Emma made it impossible to cast the curse or cause her parents any damage. The brunette then remembered a solution that could put an end to her constant inner battle.

Regina went into her vault once more and looked for the ingredients needed to create her ancient potion of forgetting. She would forget about the curse and her hunger for revenge but she wouldn't forget about Emma and her love for her. She hesitated before drinking from the effervescent glass but finally gathered the courage to let her grudge drift into oblivion.

Regina felt a heavy weight lift from her shoulders. She was renewed and the only time she had ever felt this light had been when Emma carried her in her arms to their love nest. She quickly remembered she left the blonde alone in her bedchambers and teleported in a mist to her bed, where the princess was still sound asleep. The brunette nestled her head on the blonde's chest and quickly fell asleep in the warmth of her lover's embrace.

Rays of sunshine filtered through the balcony and Emma's eyes slowly opened to see Regina's sleepy face over her chest. She smiled warmly and gently brushed away some of the hair covering the brunette's beautiful face. Emma had no doubt this was her happy ending and she would do whatever it takes to convince her lover about her true feelings and intention.

_- "Good morning."_ Emma whispered to Regina who was opening her eyes to see her.  
_- "How long have you been staring?"_ Regina asked blushing.  
_- "Not long enough."_ Emma answered warmly.  
_- "I look awful in the morning."_ The brunette muttered as she rolled off Emma.  
_- "I beg to differ."_ The blonde told her.

Emma was upset by Regina's avoidance, so she quickly rolled over the brunette and pinned her once again under her grip. She really was a dominant lover and Regina sure loved it. Emma's mouth soon found Regina's, kissing deeply the crimson lips she knew she would never grow tired of savoring. Regina could feel her pulse speeding, as gold curls brushed over her skin while Emma made her way down her neck, kissing and tasting her lover's skin.

Regina felt like an idiot for blushing like a teenager with every inch Emma continued to advance on her way down her torso. The blonde had shown just how "amateur" her touch was the previous night when she made the brunette lose control over her own body and succumb into the bliss of their love making. But seeing Emma travel down her body with her mouth was different from last night and Regina felt embarrassed, like a virgin having her first experience.

After indulging in her lover's body, Emma was now resting on Regina's chest and they both shimmered with True Love's afterglow. The princess was gazing deep into caramel eyes when she finally opened her mouth to speak the words she had never imagined herself saying.

_- "Marry me." _Emma said in a soft whisper.  
_- "What?"_ Regina nearly jumped. She thought she heard wrong.  
_- "Would you do me the honor of sharing a lifetime as my wife?"_ Emma rephrased.

Regina was overwhelmed, she really wanted to say yes but she feared it was too good to be true and that someone might come through the door to rip out her True Love's heart. She took a little too long to respond and Emma's eyes filled with tears.

_- "Do you still doubt me?"_ Emma asked while trying to keep her tears from falling.  
_- "NO! It isn't that, Emma." _Regina answered with worry.  
_- "Then tell me what it is because you sure are a puzzle." _The blonde told her.  
_- "I don't want anything bad happening to you."_ Regina reveled her fear.  
_- "Nothing is going to happen to me, Gina."_ Her lover answered.  
_- "I…" _Regina was thinking what to say but Emma interrupted her.  
_- "I will only ask one more time. I can take a no for an answer." _The blonde said with a serious tone the brunette hadn't heard from her before.  
_- "Will you marry me, Regina?" _Emma asked with a trembling voice.  
_- "A thousand times yes." _Regina responded through tears of joy.

They kissed like there would be no tomorrow and entangled their bodies to be as close as they could possibly get. Nothing could come in between them; they felt their love was more powerful than the evil lurking around them.


	12. The Eyes of Destiny

**The Eyes of Destiny**

* * *

In the Dark One's castle Rumplestiltskin was looking desperately in his treasure chest. He kept throwing things out of the way while cursing at Regina and Emma for being fool enough to believe in a happy ending. No one better than him could know what destiny had prepared for them, as he was the upper hand of fate when it came to the peculiar couple.

The vicious imp finally found what he had been looking for. He had made a deal with Maleficent several years ago to get possession of a smaller version of "The Looking Glass" mirror. On exchange, he provided the shape-shifting witch with the sleeping curse he knew his little apprentice would later seek. A curse that would send Leopold's only heir to the throne into an eternal sleep, tearing her father's heart and kingdom apart causing worse pain than the one inflicted on Daniel.

At that time, Charming had been captured by Regina; who was deciding whether to kill the annoying shepherd or casting a spell on him to turn him into a sheep. The idea was amusing, as she already believed him one, only without wool over his body, but she took a little too long to decide and the crafty excuse of a prince managed to escape her dungeon and wake up his True Love with the help of the Blue Fairy.

A clever wench the Blue Fairy was, Rumplestiltskin kept thinking. He was giving her more credit than what was true on her behalf, as it had been Tinker Bell who decided Snow White's and Prince Charming's child should be the Evil Queen's True Love, to break Cora's curse and free her from the enchantment her own mentor provided to the royal family. Only a girl as rebellious as the Green Fairy could've been the perfect match for Regina as godmother.

* * *

(Flashback)

The night Daniel was murdered, princess Regina stole an ancient book from her mother while she was sleeping. She knew she had gotten it from a dark sorcerer who provided her with spells and artifacts that helped her with magic. The young brunette summoned Rumplestiltskin in the stables where her True Love was still laying on a straw bed.

_- "There is no coming back from death, dearie."_ The imp told her.  
_- "Is there anything you can do at all?"_ Regina pleaded.  
_- "I can keep him from rotting."_ Rumplestiltskin answered.  
_- "Please do it… until I can find a way to revive him."_ The maiden begged him.

The scaled skinned imp waved his hands over the cold body and covered it with an enchantment that protected it from deteriorating. He summoned a crystal coffin that would contain his spell over the body for as long as it lay there. Regina asked him to create a hideaway for her and on exchange for his favors the Dark One said her first born would belong to him. She agreed, as she was sure she wouldn't love again and definitely never would she bear a child to pay the debt. After that meeting it wasn't long before the now heartless princess asked for the Dark One to become her mentor in the arts of black magic.

* * *

Blue saw Green stealing pixie dust from their sacred vault but she didn't stop her and instead followed after the thieving fairy; curious about the reason behind her apprentice's behavior. After a few minutes of stalking the young fairy, Blue caught sight of a twelve weeks pregnant princess gazing into the falling night sky.

Snow White was wishing upon the stars for peace on her realm and for Regina to find True Love again, if it was possible at all, so she could find happiness and bury her old grudge. The Blue Fairy then noticed Green using some pixie dust over the pregnant lady without her knowing. Blue thought that maybe her apprentice wanted to alleviate the princess' sorrow with the soothing powers of the powder and grant her some level of peace she so strongly wished for. She decided to condone her apprentice and flew away, but Tinker Bell's intention hadn't been only to grant a moment of serenity to Snow White. Instead, with her special mix she was making the princess and her child ready for something bigger when the time came.

The night Tinker Bell poured her powder over Snow White was the same night Regina's troops dominated Leopold's, winning the war after five years of battle. It was also the night the Evil Queen tried to rip out the princess' heart after seeing the old man lying on his deathbed; ruining her plan to behead him in public.

Six months further, the Green Fairy mixed the remaining pixie dust with another powder she always carried in a tiny container that hung from her neck. Tinker Bell had kept it secret from her superior; as something like that would have certainly called for her wings as punishment. It was a small amount of the dirt she carefully cultured from the stable where Daniel's heart had been crushed to ashes.

Tinker Bell secretly visited after Regina was trapped under Blue's incantation; to sprinkle the final dose needed to finish her good deed. A green mist engulfed the newborn and awakened memories of a life short lived, as the stable boy's experiences swam inside the baby's subconscious. The Green Fairy had been sneaking every night after the first treatment to dust Snow's belly with her powder while she was sleeping. She was a skillful smuggler and nobody ever caught her.

Believing in reincarnation was something only a few did. The majority didn't believe in the existence of a soul; it was much easier to believe in something you could see and touch, such as magic. But Tinker Bell believed in both and that was her reason to steal the magic powders that could speed up the process for Regina's sake. The Dark Empress couldn't wait another lifetime to be reunited with her True Love, especially not after the imprisonment that made the time frame of their reunion offset, if not lost completely. You only had one True Love in the Enchanted Forest and Tinker Bell would protect Regina's, even if the price to pay turned out too steep for the fae.

* * *

(Present time)

Rumplestiltskin was contemplating the image reflected in the mirror he held in his hand. He was remembering what the seer had told him about a blue blood boy being his undoing.

_- "How will my queer apprentice bear a child now?"_ Rumplestiltskin murmured.  
_- "It's time to pay an old friend a visit!"_ He answered himself.

The Dark One activated the enchanted mirror and put it on the stone floor as a magical twister rapidly spun in the center; opening a portal into a world he had tried not to set foot in decades.

* * *

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
I want to thank LOCISVU for her constant support and cheerful spirit!  
I hope this chapter was not too confusing._


	13. The Power of Hope

**The Power of Hope**

* * *

A month had passed since Emma left her mother's castle to live with the kingdom's worst enemy. Snow and Charming were trying to cope with her absence and considered the possibility that Emma might never come back, but it was a horrible idea to even think about not seeing their only child ever again. They talked about leaving the past behind and getting used to the idea of Regina playing a different role in their lives, as the temporary partner their rebellious daughter had chosen to deceive them and avoid her duties as a princess.

_- "I think it will pass soon. It must be a period of self-exploration."_ Snow told him.  
_- "Like when she had a crush on Jasmine?"_ David asked with flushed cheeks.  
_- "I want to believe so."_ Snow answered with worry.  
_- "We will be there to pick up the pieces."_ The King comforted her.

Emma's first girl crush had been Jasmine. She had met Agrabah's princess when they were invited to her wedding with Aladdin and the tomboy princess couldn't keep her eyes off the cinnamon skinned beauty, but what enticed her most were those caramel eyes she loved so much. She didn't know why but she was sure whoever she were to marry would possess dark brown eyes, like the ones she kept dreaming about.

It was past noon when the unusual couple arrived in their steeds to the castle that not long ago had been the princess' home. A loyal servant came to receive them and wasn't sure if she was allowed to let the former Evil Queen into the palace, but given the current situation she just opened the door and offered the two ladies something to drink while they waited in the great chamber for the King and Queen.

A few minutes later, Snow and David came to meet with Emma and Regina. Mother and father didn't hesitate to embrace their daughter and forgot for a moment who the other woman in the chambers was. After a minute of hugs and kisses, they finally greeted Regina with as much courteousness as they were able to display for their nemesis.

_- "So what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"_ Charming was first to break the silence.  
_- "We are here to inform you about something important."_ Emma nervously responded.  
_- "What is it, Em?"_ Snow asked her with worry.  
_- "Regina and I are getting married."_ The princess dropped the bomb on her parents.

Snow and David looked at each other and didn't speak for another good couple of minutes. They were feeling like they had just been dropped a bucket of cold water and they didn't know how to react with the news. Sure there was happiness for their daughter, because she had finally met someone she wanted to share her life with, but the Evil Queen? Really? It couldn't be any worse.

They were reminded how Regina hadn't come after them in all the time after the Savior rescued her from the wretched cave. Snow accepted they had done wrong back then and she had always felt guilt in her conscience after that terrible event.

_- "We should make all the preparations then!"_ Snow cheerfully said with tears in her eyes.  
_- "Wait, what?" _Charming was surprised with his wife's reaction.  
_- "I think this is a good opportunity to leave the past behind and start over."_ The Queen answered.  
_- "A wedding we shall have then."_ The King supported his wife's decision.  
_- "Hold on… We were thinking of something private with just us."_ Emma told them with worry.  
_- "Nonsense! You're our only heir and we will celebrate big time!"_ Snow insisted.

Regina couldn't stop looking at Emma and back at Snow while they argued over making a small party and her mother insisting they were royalty and they should have a celebration worthy of their princess. Regina had come against her will because the blonde insisted on letting her parents know about their decision and it was only right to come together with the news.

_- "What do you think, Regina?" _Snow asked her opinion.  
_- "About what?"_ The brown-eyed was caught by surprise.  
_- "About the wedding, of course." _Snow told her.  
_- "I'm fine with whatever Emma decides."_ Regina answered sharply.  
_- "Hey! I don't want to decide for you… say what you think, Gina."_ Emma said to her.

Regina took a deep breath and exhaled, she then struck her regal pose and answered.

_- "I enjoy the finest things in life, dear, and I would take no less than a wedding worthy of a Queen."_ Regina answered with arrogance.  
_- "Fine! You win… with one condition, though."_ Emma winced.  
_- "Which, Em?_ Her mother asked with curious eyes.  
_- "There's no way I'm wearing your dress." _Emma told her mother.  
_- "You will wear my uniform then."_ The King said.  
_- "I'm fine with that deal."_ Regina commented.  
_- "But Emma… Charming…"_ Snow tried to complain but her husband dismissed her attempt.  
_- "Everything is arranged then." _David interrupted, earning her frown.

Snow pouted in discomfort but at least she would be allowed to throw out the party she had always dreamed for the wedding of her only child. The Queen was happy and at the same time sad to realize how quickly her daughter had grown up and she was now ready to start a family of her own. A family? Snow hadn't thought about it until that moment. How would her daughter conceive an heir to the throne and continue their linage if she was going to marry a woman? The poor mother couldn't help but feel a little let down by her daughter.

They had dinner together as a family for the first time and Regina, being free from her old hatred, enjoyed spending time with the Charmings. She no longer remembered why she had wanted to harm them, since the people responsible for her loss were deeply buried in the past. She was touched by how warm Snow and David were with each other and their daughter. It was something she had always yearned from her own family. Her father was a gentle and loving man but her mother was an evil witch who kept her foot on their necks at all times.

Regina kept smiling seeing them interact and she didn't want to distract them from their chatting and joking around. But even if she had been silent, Snow noticed how much Regina had changed and she could feel this was not just for show, but an honest new beginning for them. Perhaps it had always been destined to be this way, she thought to herself. She always hoped and wished upon the stars for a happy ending for Regina, after unknowingly provoking her father's wrath upon the stable boy. She felt somewhat responsible for Regina's True Love's demise and if her daughter was the price to pay for her childhood mistake; it was a price she was obligated to pay.

They begged the couple to spend the night in the palace and finally convinced them into staying. Regina was the first to retreat to Emma's bedchambers, as she thought it would be best to leave her alone with her parents so they could chat more comfortably by the hearth.


	14. Passion Can Burn

**Passion Can Burn**

* * *

A couple of hours passed and Emma finally came to reunite with her fiancé. The blonde's smile couldn't have been brighter and Regina was happy for her. If the brunette had had the choice, she would've certainly wanted to see her parents once more and be bathed in the love she so much needed from them.

_- "So we have their blessing."_ Emma commented.  
_- "I wouldn't have been able to sleep, thank you for sharing."_ Regina was sarcastic.

Emma rolled her eyes at the sassy brunette who had been reading a book before. She stripped off her clothes and joined her girlfriend in bed. The blonde's hands quickly found Regina's book and snatched it to place it on the nightstand beside her, earning a frown from her lover.

_- "Enough reading for a night. I claim my fiancé's attention now."_ Emma said and winked at her lover.  
- _"Hmm… and what would you like to do with her full attention?" _The brunette asked innocently.  
_- "I would start by kissing her."_ Emma answered.  
_- "And how would you continue?"_ Regina asked as she turned to the side, resting her head over the pillow to ogle her nude partner.  
_- "Let's find out."_ Emma whispered before kissing her fiancé slowly.  
_- "Emma, we are at your parents."_ The brunette said between kisses and caresses.  
_- "We have their blessing." _Emma told her taking little care.  
_- "You're such a teenager."_ Regina commented with humor.  
_- "You love me for it." _Emma smiled taking no offense.  
_- "Endure is more precise." _Regina playfully tapped Emma's nose with her finger.  
_- "Hey! You hurt my feelings."_ Emma cried out.  
_- "I'll have to make it up to you."_ Regina whispered before tenderly kissing her fiancé.  
_- "Mhm… no objections with that."_ Emma murmured as her hands quickly slipped under Regina's nightgown.  
_- "But not tonight, lover. Until we shall be married."_ Regina said before planting a last kiss and pushing Emma's hands away.

Regina had never before denied her ever-hungry fiancé for a sample of her loving. Emerald eyes fixed on chocolate, trying to decipher if that was still a game or if the brunette was actually serious with her sentence. Emma realized she had indeed been serious and immediately felt angered and betrayed.

_- "WHAT?!"_ Emma gaped in shock.  
_- "What you heard."_ The brunette calmly replied while turning her back to her.  
_- "What did I do to deserve such punishment?" _The blonde was offended.  
_- "No punishment, love. I want to do this out of respect for your parents and to preserve some level of tradition. I know we're no virgins, but it doesn't mean we can't try a little to keep our basic instincts at bay until the wedding night."_ Regina explained with solemnity.  
_- "Don't go all prude on me, Gina! That's bullshit."_ Emma immaturely complained.  
_- "It's just an innocent custom, Emma, and we will be married soon."_ Regina responded with serenity.  
_- "You call three months soon?"_ Emma questioned with anger but Regina decided to ignore her.

Emma turned her back as well and crossed her arms over her chest, as she laid on her side. Regina could feel the Savior's wrath, as a dark feeling of magic surrounded the blonde beside her. Regina was starting to worry and decided to turn around to actually see the damage. Her pupils widened when they caught sight of a gold crimson glow emanating from the princess. Emma didn't notice the energy radiating from her, as she was forcing her eyes to remain shut, but her power was starting to toast the bed sheets and even Regina began to sweat with the proximity of the infuriated heat menacing with bursting their bed into flames.

Regina sighed deeply and gently slid a hand across Emma's torso, bringing her own body close into a spoon and began kissing the blonde's nape gently. Emma's hormones were fast to kick in and green eyes flashed with a golden light, before turning dark with lust. Her radiant heat lowered to the point of not burning and the glow ceased to scintillate.

Emma grasped the brunette's hand firmly and pulled her on top of her, whilst she rolled to lay on her back. Regina blinked eyes in surprise but decided it was best not to upset the beast, so she let Emma dictate what should happen next, looking back into enamored eyes.

Emma's hunger for her fiancé was fierce and her natural occurring magic manifested once again. Regina's nightgown turned to flames, which quickly became ashes floating in the air. She only felt the flash of heat for a second, the time it took the fabric to disappear, and green eyes devoured the image of the bare lover before her.

Emma slid a hand up Regina's left thigh, while her torso rose balancing her body weight with her free hand on bed. Her lips met with the brunette's cleavage and then trapped one of her soft buds to make it stiffen in her sultry mouth. The moan that followed was music to her ears and only encouraged the princess to nip at the sensitive flesh captured in her teeth. It was wild and she loved it. Regina kept begging for mercy, even though she loved how mad Emma's loving was driving her. She was on the edge of getting lost in their passion and nearly screamed too loud, if Emma hadn't swallowed the wild moan with a heated kiss to her mouth.

They didn't want to wake up her parents, after all.

A gold shimmer swirled in Regina's eyes for a second and a sweet scent of flowers emanated from her skin after the unprecedented orgasm that left her glowing in the lightest lavender. Regina tumbled over Emma and couldn't avoid quivering as her lover slowly retrieved a hand from between toned thighs. Emma's tongue indulged in the nectar glistening in her fingers, savoring the prize she had ravenously sought for.

_- "I'm addicted to you."_ Emma whispered into her ear. _"Please don't ever deprive me of your body again."_ She added with a pained voice.

They weren't sure if it had been Regina's burst of magic or Emma's natural occurring what had made a light explosion accentuate Regina's coming, but one thing was sure; it was one hell of a trick they were going to try replicating in a nearby future.

_- "If I were a man you would be so pregnant right now."_ Emma said as she tucked a black curl behind Regina's ear.  
_- "Or you could be, if I worked a little magic."_ Regina smirked.  
_- "Is it even possible?"_ Emma blinked in surprise.  
_- "There's a spell that allows you to change shape."_ Regina told her.  
_- "Really? Woah! I could be a father."_ Emma said cheerfully.  
_- "There's no way I am letting you ruin my figure with a pregnancy."_ Regina threatened.  
_- "We won't have children then."_ Emma huffed.

Neither woman wanted to go through the hardships of a pregnancy. Princess Emma had always considered herself more of a masculine figure but Regina had a different reason she disguised under vanity. She still had a debt with Rumplestiltskin; one she wasn't ready to pay.

Regina had always thought she would never find love again and least would she consider bearing a child. With Daniel dead, there was no one for her. But she had True Love by her side now and she was reconsidering several things in her life. The idea of toddlers lightening the darkness of her palace was a glorious vision she was starting to embrace but there was no way she would grant the Dark One possession over a child born out of her True Love for Emma, so she ushered the idea of a family out of her head.


	15. Lavender & Honey

**Lavender & Honey **

* * *

Morning light made their eyes lazily open, exhausted after the night they spent loving each other without restrain. A warm voice came from the door letting them know breakfast was ready and the King and Queen wanted the couple to join them.

Regina used her handy magic to refresh both of them and make them presentable for royalty. She glanced over their bed and smirked at the lightly burnt covers. Emma was surprised to learn she had unwillingly toasted the sheets, nearly setting her bed on fire.

_- "We need to get you started with your magic lessons."_ Regina said to her.  
_- "But… I'm not interested. I'm good with a sword and the arch, too."_ Emma whined.  
_- "We need to get it under control, Emma."_ Regina scolded.  
_- "It isn't that bad, Gina."_ Emma muttered.  
_- "But it could be, if I'm not around to guide it."_ Regina insisted.  
_- "Says the Evil Queen." _The princess rolled her eyes.  
_- "Exactly. I know better, but let's talk about that later."_ Regina was firm.  
_- "Alright… I'm hungry, anyway."_ Emma replied and her stomach didn't take long after that to growl in agreement, turning Regina's frown into a grin.

Regina hovered her hand over the bed and made it look even better than it was before her fiancé damaged the fabric with her anger. They walked out of their bedchambers and joined the Majesties in the dinning room.

The King stood up from his seat to greet the ladies that had just arrived. He went to hug his daughter first and then moved to embrace Regina; who returned an awkward hug, as she wasn't expecting to be received with such friendly gesture.

_- "You smell nice, Regina. What's that sweet scent?" _The King commented with no malice.  
_- "Huh? I… I don't know… but thank you for the compliment… your Majesty."_ Regina felt her face turn red and tried to hide her blush looking at the floor.  
_- "I think I have smelled that perfume before."_ Charming said looking back in his memories.  
_- "I really have no answer for that." _Regina responded and ran to sit beside Emma, who was glaring at her father with jealousy.

Snow turned to look at her husband with fire burning in her eyes. It was the first time he ever made such a flirtatious comment to any woman in all the time they had been together. She then looked at Regina trying to find the lightest proof of betrayal, but what she saw made her gap in surprise.

_- "How on earth… Regina! How could you betray Emma's trust?"_ Snow yelled at her.  
_- "What now, Snow?"_ Regina lazily asked.  
_- "Am I missing something?"_ Emma joined the interrogation.

Snow White rose from her seat and walked to Regina's side. She took her chin in her hand and looked into brown eyes intently, searching for something only she could recognize.

_- "What's going on, mom?"_ Emma asked with worry.  
_- "It's impossible."_ Snow whispered after seeing a sudden gold glimmer.  
_- "What are you talking about, Snow?"_ Regina raised her voice irritated.  
_- "You carry True Love's product."_ Snow answered shaking her head with confusion.  
_- "Have you finally gone mad, little princess?"_ Regina said to the Queen.  
_- "Lavender and honey! I remember!"_ The King interrupted the cold war.  
_- "Oh my… The two idiots."_ Regina sighed and slapped Snow's hand away.  
_- "That's how Snow smelled during the time she was pregnant with Emma."_ David commented.  
_- "What does that have to do with Regina?"_ Emma asked her father.  
_- "It's the same scent coming from your fiancé, Em."_ Her father answered suspiciously.

Regina felt her heart sink to her stomach and fear got possession over the brunette.

_- "Are you saying Gina is pregnant?"_ Emma asked bewildered.  
_- "I can't be pregnant!"_ Regina said in a desperate cry.  
_- "How could you do that to our daughter?"_ Snow White accused her.  
_- "I didn't do anything!"_ Regina defended her honor with tears of rage.  
_- "Then please explain because your partner is a woman, Regina."_ David demanded.  
_- "He's mine. The baby."_ Emma answered for her.

Snow and David turned to look at their daughter incredulously. They asked her to stop protecting a woman who was obviously just playing with her to continue with her old revenge against them. Regina insisted she didn't care for her vengeance any longer but she couldn't explain how this had happened.

_- "I used magic."_ Emma said to them.  
_- "Is that possible?"_ Her father questioned.  
_- "I'm sorry, Gina."_ Emma told her fiancé with watery eyes.  
_- "How, Emma? I don't recall using the spell."_ The brunette asked her with confusion.  
_- "Last night when, you know *what*, I had a vision of a baby boy in your arms and I couldn't stop wishing for that to become real, and then the light flashed and I knew I would be granted my wish."_ The princess said trying to hide a guilty blush from her disgusted parents.  
_- "I didn't know you could use magic, Em."_ Her mother said between clenched teeth.  
_- "I kept it from you, Snow. I didn't want you to worry more."_ David revealed.  
_- "I can't have this baby."_ Regina whispered.

Mother, father and daughter all turned to look at Regina with shock. The dangerous tone in her voice was perturbing and they couldn't understand why Regina would want to get rid of the child she had created with her True Love.

_- "You won't get rid of our grandson!"_ David threatened.  
_- "Gina, what's wrong? I thought you loved me." _Emma said crying_. "Why would you refuse bearing my child?"_ She added with pain.  
_- "You better have a good answer, Regina, because I am this close into sending you to the old cave you hate so much."_ Snow warned her.  
_- "Because it belongs to the Dark One!"_ Regina yelled and broke into inconsolable sobbing.  
_- "I thought it was mine, Gina."_ Emma was perplexed.  
_- "It IS, but I made a deal with Rumplestiltskin a long time ago and my first born is the price to pay for my mistake."_ Regina revealed to them.  
_- "We will make another deal."_ Emma muttered.  
_- "No! The price will become much higher."_ Regina answered, wiping away some tears.  
_- "We will protect the baby with our lives, Regina."_ The King placed his hands over her trembling shoulders.

Snow suggested the idea of using the same incantation they cast on Regina, but the brunette told them her mentor wasn't someone they could fool as easily. He already knew the Blue Fairy's spell and had worked out a counterpart to nullify the effects of her enchantment.

Regina was hopeless and continued weeping with her arms wrapped around her belly, trying to protect the little spark of life growing inside her. Her eyes glimmered in gold again and a soothing warm sensation emanated from her middle section easing her pain. In that moment she knew the child she was bearing was indeed the product of True Love, and might even have more power than the Dark One himself.


	16. Patronizing

**Patronizing**

* * *

After the commotion of the emotional incident, the royal family finally managed to calm down and the Majesties ordered their servants to keep their lips sealed and no word should be mentioned about the event they had witness. Nobody outside the palace should know about the upcoming baby.

They forced the food into their mouths but only managed to eat very little from the feast they had prepared in honor of their princess' engagement. Regina was refusing to eat anything as she was still very upset, but the Charmings wouldn't let her leave the table without at least trying a little from her plate, specially now that she was carrying a future heir to the throne in her womb.

Regina and Emma retreated to their bedchambers to get some rest and talk about the way they would face this pregnancy together. They had wanted to depart immediately after breakfast but the King and Queen ordered them to stay for the week so they could ensure they were safe from Rumplestiltskin, but it was Regina who they wanted to keep under surveillance in fear she might try to get rid of the baby.

Once they were alone in their bedchambers, Emma and Regina couldn't begin to speak. They were silent for long time until the princess came to Regina's side to try soothing her pain and worry. Regina was gazing out the windows of their chambers when Emma approached from behind and slipped her hands to the front of Regina's flat stomach. She nestled her chin in the curve between her shoulder and neck to whisper.

_- "We will have a whole family." Emma said in a soft voice._

Regina turned slowly around inside Emma's arms to meet her fiancé's gaze with tears still pouring from brown eyes. She cupped Emma's face in her hands and brought her closer into a lingering kiss. _"I hope so."_

Emma's embrace tightened around the brunette and the princess deepened their kiss. She was rolling her lips over Regina's jaw to move down to her soft neck when the brunette pushed her suddenly away from her, breaking the romantic moment for her lover.

_- "I don't want you to make it twins."_ Regina said abruptly.  
_- "Hey! I was just kissing you."_ The blonde whined but couldn't avoid smirking.  
_- "I know you very well and feel your energy, which was escalating into something else." _ The brunette scolded.  
_- "So what? We're getting married."_ The unruly princess complained.  
_- "I don't want Rumplestiltskin getting more than one baby."_ Regina answered with a breaking voice.  
_- "We will find a way to keep our baby." _Emma assured her.

Regina knew she had to pay her debt eventually and she wouldn't want to give him her baby, so she reconsidered the idea of making a new deal with the evil imp but she didn't want Emma or the two idiots to meddle in her business. They were already too eager to make decisions for both of them and this was an arrangement only she and Rumplestiltskin had a part in.

_- "Yes, we will."_ Regina smiled at Emma and allowed her to resume the kissing.

They took a nap because they were still drained from the pervious night activities and learning about the deal Regina had with Rumplestiltskin. Not to mention the miracle baby that had been created before marriage.

Snow was worried about the pregnancy being too evident when Regina walked down the isle in their wedding. She was talking with her husband about hurrying the wedding day and later saying the baby had been born two months early instead of three, but the King burst into laughter and the Queen frowned unpleased with his lack of support.

_- "I don't think the child's birthday will have the people gossiping."_ David said to her.  
_- "David! She will be three months pregnant when they marry."_ Snow rolled her eyes.  
_- "Snow, the problem will be the pregnancy itself."_ The King responded.  
_- "Aahh! They won't believe it's Emma's."_ Snow finally realized the obvious. _"The council will forbid their union. We can't have that happen! Regina could unleash her wrath upon us all."_ She continued with panic.  
_- "Actually, I wouldn't worry about her."_ David said shaking his head.  
_- "What do you mean?" _Snow asked with big curios eyes.  
_- "I've seen Emma use magic when she was angry and that was terrifying to say the least. Not even Regina could stop her." _He told his wife with distress.  
_- "When?" _Snow asked with anguish.

Her husband spoke about the day he followed after Emma's steed to the Dark Palace, sparing the unnecessary details involving the position in which he embarrassingly found their daughter with Regina. He told her how Emma had released him from Regina's magical vines, and trapped her instead under their grip as punishment for daring to threaten her father.

Snow's mouth was open in shock, it was already new to her that Emma had magic and she couldn't believe it might even be beyond Regina's limit. The idea of having to face her daughter as a possible threat to the realm was something she didn't want to envision, but in the event that the council decided against their marriage she knew Emma would react impulsively, like she had always done in the past. Only this time with her new powers it could turn her immediately into a threat and enemy for the kingdom.

_- "Why must Emma always make things so difficult to us?"_ Snow sighed deeply.  
_- "Because she is reckless like her mother and stubborn like her father."_ He smiled gently.  
_- "Why didn't she get the good traits?"_ Snow pouted.  
_- "She got the great looks, honey."_ Charming answered with pride.

It was a dreadful week and Regina was happy to have made it through without turning David into a sheep or sneaking a cursed apple into Snow White's turnovers. Being able to leave the castle was already lightening her spirit and she had a smug smile in her face when she was mounting on her steed, but it was cut short after she had taken hold of the reins.

_- "Ah, ah! You are traveling inside the carriage." _Emma waved her index finger in disapproval.  
_- "I'm perfectly fit to ride a horse."_ Regina muttered.  
_- "Maybe you are but my child isn't." _Emma said with a patronizing voice.  
_- "Seriously, dear?"_ Regina narrowed her eyes on the blonde.

Emma pointed to the carriage she had earlier asked her servants to prepare for their departure, in which her own horse had already being tied to. She asked her servants to tie Regina's steed next to hers and she got to the front to guide the mammals in their journey. It made Regina furious because she had been babied all week and she didn't welcome the treatment she had thought was going to stop once they left Snow White's castle.

_- "How about you travel on your own."_ Regina said angrily before disappearing in a purple smoke and bringing herself to the palace with the magic she had been avoiding to use for the idiots' sake.

_- "Great! Just fucking GREAT, REGINA!"_ Emma yelled at the smoke that was vanishing with hope her voice could make it through the mist and reach Regina's ears, and they did. The brunette in the other side sneered with pride.

Snow turned to look at David and they both shook their heads in agreement. They understood that moment why their daughter had found the perfect match in Regina; they both were untamable impulsive creatures. A deathly match, but a match nonetheless.


	17. Mistress & Pet

Note * (This chapter will have some BDSM and descriptive adult themes.)

* * *

**Mistress & Pet **

* * *

The road to the Dark Palace felt longer without her almost wife by her side, but at least it didn't seem to have the traps Emma had fought before when she traveled it on her own. The carriage she was driving through the woods had Regina's steeds and the black forest knew to respect them and keep the deathly incantations for unfamiliar visitors.

The sun had just settled when Emma made it to the entrance of the fortress she now called home. She set the horses in the stable and then entered the palace. As she was walking down the hallway she heard voices coming from Regina's bedchambers and stopped before knocking on the door when she heard a young woman laughing together with Regina. She had never heard her giggle like that before and she felt the punch of jealousy hit her in the gut.

Emma kicked the door open and stormed inside the chambers searching for her fiancé. Her eyes widened when she saw a beautiful blonde slightly younger than her laying in bed with Regina, as if it was the most natural thing. She almost felt like she had burst into another couple's love nest.

- "Hello, Emma!" Tinker Bell greeted cheerfully.  
- "Who are you?" Emma asked without tact.  
- "Her name is Tinker Bell." Regina answered with a deadly glare.  
- "But you can call me Tink! Friends call me Tink, right, Gina?" She said innocently.

Emma felt another punch when she heard the blonde call Regina "Gina". Only Emma could call her Gina because she was her Gina and no one else had the right to address her fiancé with that much familiarity.

- "Did I interrupt something?" Emma asked accusingly.  
- "Yes. Why don't you go take a walk in the forest and come back later?" Regina answered with smugness. "Oh! And don't let the vines catch you on the way back, honey."

Regina was enjoying every bit of it. Witnessing Emma's evident jealousy was much too amusing. Emma shot Regina a dubious look complemented by a dropped jaw and her perpetual frown.

- "Nonsense! Come join us, Em!" The sympathetic fairy exclaimed.  
- "Only my parents call me Em." The princess muttered as she walked to the bed.  
- "I know. It's been a long time since I last saw you." Tinker Bell said as she gave her a long look from bottom to top. "You have grown so much!"  
- "I don't remember ever seeing you before?" Emma said but sounded more as a question.

Regina was also thrown back at the familiarity with which her fairy godmother was talking to her fiancé. She felt like she was missing an important part of the story and decided to dig deeper into that conversation.

- "Are you Emma's fairy godmother as well, Tink?" Regina asked curiously.  
- "No, the Blue Fairy is. Technically. She serves her family and I yours." She replied.  
- "You're a fairy?" Emma asked with surprise.  
- "Yup! Want to see my wings?" She said cheerfully.  
- "No, it's okay. I just had only see them in the tiny form." Emma answered, no longer angry.  
- "How do you know Emma, Tink?" Regina tried again.  
- "It's complicated, Gina. If I tell you, or anyone, I could loose my wings." She answered. "But I will tell you this: you are meant to be together."

Emma and Regina looked at each other in surprise and that answer only made them both all the more curious about the reason behind Tinker Bell's secrecy. This was no ordinary fairy and they had the feeling that this peculiar blonde knew more about their special bond than anyone else did.

_- "Maybe you can help us with our baby problem."_ Emma reached out a hand to take Tinker Bell's.  
_- "You're pregnant?"_ The fairy asked Emma with shock.  
_- "Actually, I am."_ Regina answered instead.  
_- "But… I thought… I told you Emma was your happy ending."_ The fairy was very confused.  
_- "Not you too, Tinker Bell!"_ Regina said feeling insulted again.  
_- "It is my magical seed."_ Emma said with a proud grin.  
_- "Oh no… The pixie dust and that other thing."_ Tinker Bell mumbled.  
_- "What pixie dust and other thing?" _Regina narrowed her eyes on the Green Fairy.  
_- "I… I have to go! But I will look into it, Gina. Don't tell anyone else about this!" _Tinker bell said before turning into her tiny fairy shape and making her way out through the balcony.  
_- "Well, that was helpful."_ Emma rolled her eyes.

Emma turned her gaze from the balcony to Regina and noticed the glare her woman was throwing at her.

- "Are… you… still mad at me?" Emma asked with caution.  
- "Did you have a fucking great journey, dear?" Regina asked in return, lifting an eyebrow.  
- "Not really, it was boring without the vines around my body and the poisoned thorns digging into my face." Emma responded in false amusement.  
- "That could be arranged, honey." Regina said in the sweetest sarcastic voice and placing a hand over Emma's.  
- "Let's leave it in the boring way." Emma quickly answered seeing the malice in Regina's eyes. She would throw her out; Emma didn't doubt it.  
- "As you wish, love. I just want to please you." Regina told her sweetly.

It was another sarcastic response from Regina but it was the perfect sentence for Emma to use against her fiancé. One she had been waiting to hear and jump in.

- "Oh, so you wish to please me." Emma said mimicking Regina's voice.  
- "Of course, love. You know I do." Regina continued using her sickly sweet tone.  
- "In that case, I may have a petition…" Emma said just as sweetly.  
- "Anything, honey." Regina gave her the sweetest gaze.

Emma realized her magic was tingling inside her veins and she was going to use it for her advantage. She wasn't sure how it worked but she remembered that when she wanted something strongly, it manifested just as she imagined it. So she focused her sight on Regina's red velvet dress and imagined it ripping apart leaving her naked in bed. Just as she saw it in her mind, Regina's clothes started to tear apart.

- "Really, dear?" Regina wasn't amused.  
- "You said anything, honey." Emma said innocently.

Regina tried to leave the bed but Emma's hand quickly found grasp of hers and pulled her to lay on top of her. Emma's mouth tried to catch one of Regina's breasts but the brunette dodged her attempt and laughed at the desperate move.

- "If you're going to use magic you'll have to up your game, dear." Regina mocked.  
- "Teach me then, Mistress." Emma challenged.  
- "Hmm… I don't know... You have been a very bad pet." Regina sneered.  
- "Then punish me, my Queen." Emma begged.

Something about hearing her title in that sentence, or those green eyes begging, or maybe the coarse voice in which Emma asked her, that made Regina's lust reach new heights and all she wanted now to do was indeed punish her pet until she couldn't even spell her name.

Regina pushed Emma's chest firmly to make her lay flat on bed. She conjured magic binds that came from each corner of her bed and caught grip of the Savior's wrists and feet, making her lay spread openly for her. Regina looked down at her pet and smirked seeing the terrified look in green eyes. She was waiting for the blonde to whine but Emma accepted the challenge and licked her lips, looking intently into brown eyes.

The brunette summoned back her red velvet dress with a tight black corset around her waist, but the opening at her cleavage was this time broader, showing a glimpse of her areolas. Emma was about to complain when she saw smoke around the brunette's body, knowing she would punish her with blocking the vision of her perfect naked body. But as soon as she saw the hot choice of clothing and the areolas peeking out, she couldn't be grateful enough for the image.

Purple smoke engulfed Regina's right hand and big scissors appeared in her grip. She smiled devilishly at her frightened fiancé and leaned onto bed to give rosy lips a thorough lick. _"I will do bad things to you, princess."_ She said before starting to cut through Emma's tunic from bottom to top. Emma was scared that Regina's hand could slip and make a cut somewhere painful but she didn't and Emma's nude chest was soon exposed. Her trousers received the same fatal fate.

Another swirl of smoke engulfed Regina's hand to replace the sharp object with a different one. She smiled dangerously as she walked around the bed holding a whip confidently in her hand. Emma focused her eyes on the tool supposed to be used with horses and felt nervous for the second time. She thought in her mind Regina was serious about punishment and that thing looked like it would inflict a good amount of pain.

Regina loved the shocked face in her victim but still decided to summon a blindfold to cover her sight for added thrill. The first lash made Emma flinch in bed. The whipping sound had the desired effect on the blonde and Regina was having so much fun lashing it on the stone floor, failing not once to make the naked girl twitch in her spot.

Regina started rolling the end of her whip over one of Emma's legs and slowly dragged up and to the side of her inner thigh, stopping just before it met with her humid spot. Emma let out a faint moan but Regina could hear it and found it very pleasant to her ear. She slid her whip across the milky skin of Emma's chest and traced around her perfect breasts, again achieving another moan from her pet.

She didn't expect it but suddenly she felt the hot and wet sensation of Regina's mouth suckling at her nipple. Emma arched her back feeling overdrive as she remained blindfolded and the stimulus she was receiving was ten times higher than expected. She could get used to that kind of punishment, she kept thinking. Regina's hot mouth abandoned the spot and a cool breeze made the small bud even harder as the brunette was blowing gently at the perked up nipple.

Emma couldn't take more of the teasing, she wanted to be taken now and her body couldn't lie, even if she was pretending to be absolutely calm with Regina's toying. But a slow swipe of Regina's finger at her dripping center made it evident for the Mistress of gratification, who brought her finger to her pet's mouth and rolled it across her lips to moisten them with her own nectar. Emma blushed with the erotic tactic and that earned her a sultry kiss from her lover. Regina run her tongue across Emma's lips savoring the dew she had previously smeared on them, proceeding next to slither her tongue inside Emma's open mouth to play with a more than willing tongue waiting for hers.

That kiss almost made her cum right there with her Queen, there wasn't much needed to make her reach the peak after all the teasing. Emma was moaning into the kiss and Regina could only enjoy the response of her lover's body. She torn her lips from Emma's hungry grip and left the blonde complaining in their absence. Regina then vanished the clothes from her body and released one of Emma's wrists from the magical binds on the corner of her bed. She took the free hand and placed it over one of her perky breasts, making Emma groan in delight with the sensation.

_- "Please… More. Let me see you." _Emma pleaded.

But Regina didn't answer and instead recalled the hand under the magical grip, making the princess complain again.

Regina straddled one of Emma's legs and grinded onto her firm thigh, making the blonde moan in pleasure knowing just what part of her fiancé was touching, abusing, her muscle. She could feel her humidity and the wetness it left over her white alabaster skin and couldn't avoid begging again.

_- "Please, my Queen, I need to savor you."_

Again there was no verbal answer but she felt her Mistress abandon her thigh and then she felt a new sensation for the first time in her active life. A tongue was gliding up and down the spot she had only allowed her lover to touch. It sent an electric wave all through her body and she writhed in bed. It was hot and humid, Regina's mouth kissing and sucking on her lips, but not the usual lips but the ones usually guarded by her manly trousers.

_- "MMMM" was the only sound Regina made for her love victim._

Emma's face turned red in embarrassment. She had been the one to practice such worship on her beloved. She was addicted to living between her olive legs but she didn't allow Regina to return the favor on any occasion. She just preferred to be on the giving end of pleasure but this night Regina was making a clear statement showing who was the real top in the relationship.

A finger and then a second followed pursuit of Emma's nerves to make her quiver with their torture. Emma was beyond arousal and she felt she could go insane any time now, or she wasn't sure if she had already crossed the line when Regina's mouth parked over a small bud above the entrance to her womanhood. Regina had thoughtfully tortured the small pink pearl with her tongue, just on time her fingers started moving back and forth inside her gateway to ecstasy.

_- "Wait… I can't … no more… please stop…" Emma begged but it fell on deaf ears._  
_- "Re…giin...naaa!" Her scream was guttural and raw. _

Magical binds released their grip and Emma collapsed in bed. Her thighs clamped around Regina's head and still trembled with the sudden waves coursing through her body. Regina retrieved her fingers but continued lapping at the intoxicating nectar from the fruit of passion between Emma's legs. Only making the helpless princess twitch again as new orgasms invaded her.

_- "Bloody hell, Regina! That was… that was …WOW!" Emma couldn't make a better sentence._

Regina felt extreme pride in her loving skills and it made her ego even bigger to see her lover totally lost in pleasure and completely worn out. She crawled from between Emma's opening legs to lay on top of her. She raised her torso with her elbows and hands against the bed to look into green eyes with satisfaction.

Emma blushed again feeling naked in a new level of nudity, if that was even possible. She shied and looked away from chocolate brown eyes and Regina leaned down to kiss her mouth ever so lightly. She brushed her lips over Emma's and then moved to kiss her cheek in a sweet loving way the princess had never imagined possible. It was both sensual and innocent, with a sense of domination but at the same time submissive.

_- "I will punish you next time." Emma teased._  
_- "You can try." Regina smirked._

With that last exchange of words, Emma knew she could only go as far as Regina was willing to allow. The princess had always had her way with whatever she wanted in her life since no one dared putting limits to her. Her parents were very indulgent with her being their only child, and they had once been close to loosing her when Regina threatened with ripping her from their arms. The irony was laughable because that was just happening in the end, only in a very different and unexpected way with their formal union.

* * *

_**Note ***__ After this steamy chapter I take the chance to ask my readers if the adult themes are too much. I don't think I will go any higher than what I have in this scene since I respect the people who follow my story and wish to hear your opinions first. You can comment here or in private and I could reconsider going back to Teen and editing the story to fit the age range._


	18. A Heart for a Hand

**A Heart for a Hand**

* * *

(Flashback: 38 years ago)

_- "I said I won't marry him!"_ Regina said before throwing the ring to Cora's feet.

After rejecting King Leopold's proposal Regina locked herself in her bedchambers. Her mother was convincing the old emperor that her daughter would come to her senses and that she was sure there must be someone clouding her daughter's judgement. She promised to find out whoever it was and make him pay in any way the King found it suited.

King Leopold still felt insulted because it should be a privilege to have the ruler of a kingdom come to ask for your hand in marriage and even if Regina had been born in royalty, her father was still fifth in line to become King of Gollider and it would most likely never happen. Cora begged for a second chance to convince her daughter and offered her guest chambers so he could stay the night and get some rest to clear his mind. Leopold finally agreed to give her one more chance and if there was indeed a love inside the brunette's heart he demanded said man's heart crushed before the maiden's eyes.

The King accepted to stay for the night in their pretentious chateau to keep a close eye on the rebellious lass. He couldn't stop imagining the sixteen year old laying in the bed where he would rip her off her innocence and make her his new property. He didn't love her, that was clear, but he loved her youthful body and she was the most beautiful girl he had encountered in his journey. A journey that had made the old man very tired and the offer of a warm bed helped him recover from the bitter experience of Regina's rejection. Leopold retreated with his daughter to the guest chambers Cora had made look worthy of the King with the skillful use of her dark magic.

The next morning the stable boy was brushing Regina's favorite steed when his lady came to find him.

_- "Daniel!"_ Regina exclaimed nervously.  
_- "My lady, Rosinante is almost ready."_ Daniel answered gently.  
_- "I'm not here for training. Dearest, we must leave before is too late."_ Regina was speaking desperately.  
_- "What's wrong? Why are you so nervous, my love?"_ He asked growing more concerned about her unusual demeanor.  
_- "King Leopold wants to marry me and my mother is going to force me."_ She cried inconsolably.  
_- "But I... Maybe you should listen to her. You would be Queen." _Daniel answered with sadness. _"I can't offer you the life you deserve." He said with impotent anger._  
_- "I don't want to be Queen!"_ Regina said between sobs._ "And I don't want a life of luxury. Please, what I need and deserve is a life with my True Love."_

Daniel took a deep breath and wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. He had always felt inferior to the lady he had grown to love more than his own life. He never thought a woman from her position would even look him in the eye, but there was Regina. A lady destined to be Queen, who would happily trade the crown for a humble life with the stable boy she was in love with.

He kneeled before his lady and took a ring he had been carrying with him for a couple of months now.

_- "Would you do me the honor of sharing a lifetime as my wife?_ He looked into brown eyes with hope.  
_- "A thousand times yes."_ Regina answered him with joyful tears.

He pushed the humble ring into the maiden's finger and Regina kneeled with him and pressed her lips onto his, sharing a kiss full with promise of a happy ending.

_- "How could you? I'm telling my father!"_ Little Snow appeared.  
_- "Snow, please! Don't!" _Regina ran to the child's side and begged.  
_- "How can you choose a stable boy over the King?" _The girl pouted.  
_- "He is my true love and True Love is magic. You only have one in a lifetime." _Regina told her.  
_- "Only one? But… if mama died and she was his true love, why does papa want you so much?" _The eight year old asked with innocence.  
_- "I don't know, Snow, but, please, keep this secret for me."_ Regina begged.  
_- "I… I promise." _The little girl vowed.  
_- "Thank you, little princess!"_ Regina hugged her, trusting in her childhood innocence.

Later in the evening the King came for the feast Cora offered in honor of his Majesty and the engagement with her daughter. They were eating from the banquet when the little princess got overly excited talking about finding her True Love one day.

_- "Did you know True Love is magic?" _The little princess asked Cora with bright eyes.  
_- "Yes, darling. The most powerful of all."_ Cora answered as she smiled gently at the girl.  
_- "I can't wait to find mine and be happy like mama was with papa! Or like Regina is with Daniel."_ The innocent girl said before remembering her promise.  
_- "Is that so?"_ Cora asked looking dangerously toward her daughter.

Regina felt the air escape her lungs; her face turned white and her body cold. She looked with terror at Snow White, who returned a guilty shrug and bit her lip trying to take back the words she should have never said. The King stood up from his seat and asked Snow to follow him. He put the little princess under her nana's care and ordered Johanna to take her to their carriage and prepare for departure. He exchanged a look with Cora and they both knew what should happen next.

They dragged Regina by the force to the stables and ordered her to call out for the stable boy. He had been expecting her to come much later according to their plan to elope, but after hearing her strained voice he quickly appeared from one of the stalls and was surprised to see Regina being held by the King in a tight grip. Leopold was tugging on her hair preventing her from running to her true love's embrace. Next to them was Cora, who started walking dangerously in direction of the employee that betrayed her trust. She extended her hand and dark magic made the young man freeze on his spot.

_- "Let her go!" _Daniel yelled at Leopold from his restrained position.  
_- "Did you really think you could have my daughter?"_ Cora mocked.  
_- "Mother! Don't hurt him. I will do as you please!" _Regina said crying.  
_- "NO! We love each other. You have no right to force her!"_ Daniel yelled looking furiously at them.  
_- "I don't like other people playing with my dolls."_ Leopold said with conceit.  
_- "You filthy old man!"_ Daniel yelled at him feeling nausea churn his stomach.  
_- "Cora."_ The King looked at her and she nodded in return.

Cora approached Daniel and forced her hand into his chest, she ripped out his heart and came to crush it in front of Regina's eyes. The stable boy dropped lifeless on the ground and Regina cried inconsolably as she run to his side. She tried reviving him with True Love's kiss but there was nothing she could do to bring him back from death.

_- "I've complied with my part of the deal, your Highness." Cora said calmly.  
- "Yes. I will take her now and bring her to my palace."_ King Leopold said.  
_- "How could you?"_ Regina looked at her mother heart brokenly._  
- "I would've married you to save him."_ She said looking defiantly at the old King.  
_- "You would have run one day. We couldn't take the risk, darling."_ Cora said to her.  
_- "I will NEVER be his wife."_ The maiden said not trying to mask her scorn.  
_- "Nonsense, child. You will go with the King."_ Cora said rolling her eyes.  
_- "NO! You can't make me!"_ Regina yelled closing her hands into fists.  
_- "Father..."_ Snow White appeared from behind them.

She had escaped Johanna's custody to see where her father was going and swallowed a whimper after witnessing the shocking image of Regina's True Love getting murdered by her own mother as her father restrained the distressed maiden.

_- "Sweetheart, what are you doing here?"_ Leopold turned to pick her in his arms.  
_- "I wanted to ask you about mama. If she was your True Love, why do you want Regina?"_ Snow asked with reddened eyes.  
_- "I thought you wanted a new mother."_ He answered, turning the guilt on the child.  
_- "Not like this, papa!"_ The princess said crying.

The old man decided to leave with his daughter and forget about the girl he had wanted to espouse. There were toys that no matter how tempting they looked weren't worth his daughter's rejection. Cora insisted about their deal but the old man told her to forget about him and his crown. If she so much wanted her daughter to be Queen she should do as they did with the stable boy and get rid of Henry's siblings to take the only throne they had a chance to win.

_- "How could you do this to me, mother?"_ Regina turned to look at Cora with bitter tears.  
_- "He was just a peon, darling. Now please excuse yourself with the King and I'm sure he will find it in his heart to forgive you and give you another chance."_ She said to her.  
_- "But I don't love him, mother! And I never will."_ Regina said with rage.

Cora came to pick Regina from the ground and cupped her face gently in her hands. She placed a soft kiss to her cheek and then moved her lips to whisper to her ear.

_- "You don't have to love him, darling. You just have to please him." _She said softly.  
_- "I won't be his royal whore." _Regina muttered.  
_- "Regina, dear, you need to stop believing in True Love. Love is weakness." _Her mother said with pity.  
_- "No! Love is freedom."_ Regina said through clenched teeth.  
_- "You are wrong again, child. Power is freedom." _Cora corrected her as she placed her hands over Regina's shoulders.  
_- "The King has already left. Why can't you leave me to grieve my love in peace?"_ Regina questioned.  
_- "Because you're destined to be the most influent Queen and that kind of power is more valuable than a moment of weakness with some stable boy." _She said with disgust.  
_- "He was my True Love! And now he's gone."_ Regina cried out. _"I might as well join him in his grave." _The helpless girl mumbled.  
_- "What was that, dear? I couldn't hear you." _Cora asked narrowing her eyes on her daughter.

Regina broke from her mother's grasp and took out a small dagger from under her cloak. She held it in front of her and Cora looked back in disbelief waiting for the young girl to threaten her, but Regina instead swayed it in the air and brought the blade toward her own chest. Cora's eyes widened in surprise and she used her magic to stop the knife from digging any deeper into her daughter's heart. Regina couldn't move as her mother kept controlling her body and Cora came close to pull out the dagger and heal the wound with her magic before it was too late.

_- "If you want so much to join your True Love in his deathbed I will grant you this... As punishment for your unworldliness I will bury your heart with his. But know this; you belong to me and I will see the day you become Queen." _Her mother said.

Cora ripped the healing heart out of her daughter's chest and picked some of the dust that had been Daniel's heart to cover the scarred organ with black ash. She held the darkened object in her hands and intoned a curse upon Reginas's heart.

_Light of Moon and Darksome night  
Nightfall claim this wretched Heart  
No mote of Hope or promised Love  
Shall break thy curse upon this soul  
Sacred flame and earth so deep  
Burn my wish and now doth keep _

A golden light shone brightly in Cora's hands and the enchantment locked Regina's heart inside a hard shell made from Daniel's ash. If there would be someone able to break the curse, it could only be the owner of the vessel guarding her stunned heart.

When Cora put it back inside Regina's chest, the young girl felt all warm emotions being sucked out of her. What should have felt like love wrapped around her soul turned cold and filled with rage from the impotence Daniel felt before giving his last breath.

_- "Now you will always be together, darling."_ Cora said before leaving her alone in the stables.

* * *

(Present time)

* * *

They were relaxing in the hot tub after waking from the best sleep they agreed had ever had in their lives. Regina was resting with her eyes closed as she lay inside Emma's arms enjoying the sweet scented water and bubbles the princess achieved summoning with her own magic.

_- "Hey, there's something I've been meaning to ask." _Emma commented out of nothing.  
_- "Yes, dear?" _Regina asked with her eyes still closed.  
_- "Well… you were Queen of Gollider before. Don't you, like, have a kingdom to rule?"_ The blonde asked with curiosity.  
_- "Hmm. Would you like me to reclaim the throne?" _Regina opened her eyes and turned her head lightly.  
_- "Not really. I was just curious if you had family left there and we could invite them to the wedding."_ Emma said with a smile.  
_- "Oh, they don't want to hear from me, darling. Trust me." _Regina said to her with a frown in her brow.  
_- "What did you do to them?"_ Emma asked bemused.  
_- "What I always do."_ Regina answered vaguely.

* * *

**A/N*** My first attempt at writing a spell. I had to look online for Wiccan spells to adapt. lol This was a bit long of a chapter. I hope you enjoyed and wasn't too boring.


	19. Gollider & The Apprentice

* I will be posting two chapters in one because I have reached my docs limit.  
* I will be merging the previous ones to make room for more updates. I took long to make this one because I had a writer's block. Sorry!

* * *

**Kingdom of Gollider**

* * *

(Flashback)

Prince Henry Gollider was the fifth in line to the throne and his wife, Cora, after loosing hope with King Leopold, turned her eyes toward her father-in-law in her greed for power. She had always wanted for Henry to fight for his father's throne but he was a good man and he wouldn't be capable of murdering his brothers just so he could rise in power. But King Xavier's last days were counted now that Cora decided to take the matter in her own hands.

The night before the ceremony where the ill King would officially name his successor to the council, Cora paid him a visit. She transported herself into Xavier's bedchambers in a mist of purple magic and appeared next to the tired man's bed where he had just laid to rest.

_- "What do you want, Cora?"_ He asked with a low raspy voice.  
_- "Something you have never needed, darling."_ She answered with a smile.  
_- "And what would that be, witch?"_ He asked between coughs staining his pillow with blood.  
_- "Your heart."_ The duchess answered.

Cora leaned down and pushed her hand into his chest. She drew out a glowing heart with quite a few dark spots and grinned with content.

_- "You will change your last will, my dear."_ She said before vanishing in the same toxic smoke she had appeared.

Every member of Xavier's linage was summoned to attend the celebration. The councilmen had all the preparations ready and just wanted to get over with the event so they could enjoy the feast and drinks in honor of Victor; the prince who would be ruling after his father passed away. But they weren't quite prepared for what the sixty-five year old ruler had for them instead.

_- "Seeing in my heart these last days of illness I have realized that what my kingdom needs is a compassionate ruler. Someone who will protect the people that made this land rich and not an iron fist like mine has always been."_ Xavier said with a saddened raspy voice. He took a deep breath and continued:_ "For this I will break tradition and name Henry as the ruler of Gollider to reign after I have left this world." _The King announced.

Everyone but Cora looked in shock around the room. This was not just changing tradition but completely ridiculous since everyone knew Xavier had always felt ashamed of the weakest of his offspring. He had always shown disdain toward the youngest of his sons and even publicly ridiculed him for lacking wits like his deceased wife Queen Alessandra.

Xavier had always felt proud of his first-born, Victor, who had always shown to have a strong character and a keen eye for business. He was a man just as greedy and shameless as his father. All what his youngest, Henry, would never be.

A tall and bulk man approached slowly but with a firm pace to the dais. He had glimpses of grey hair in his head, brown eyes like the rest of their linage and a peculiar scar on the left side of his face. He kneeled before his father and looked down to his feet in apparent reverence, to hide the rage in his face, and decided to speak.

_- "Father, why are you really doing this?" _He asked with anger.  
_- "Victor, my biggest pride. You and I are so much alike. That's why you can't be King for you would rule just like me and repeat my mistakes."_ The King answered wisely but it didn't suffice for his eldest.

The old King signaled one of his council members to bring the papyrus scroll and read it loudly for him. It had been changed with Cora's magic from what used to be originally; his last will naming Victor as the new King. Instead it had Henry as the rightful ruler to the land of Gollider and made him and his family untouchable. If anything were to happen to Henry, the crown would be passed on to his daughter and never to any of his brothers.

_- "This is a joke! I'm not going to stay to hear any more of it."_ Victor yelled and stormed out of the chambers with his family following after him.

The ceremony continued and Henry was feeling overwhelmed and confused about his father's change of mind. He felt warm inside because he had always longed to feel his father's support and pride, but he also sensed it was not entirely true and suspected about his magical wife having something to do with the new arrangement.

They had the feast in what was a very quiet celebration without the customary dances and laughing. Everyone knew there was something wrong with the King and not just for his sudden illness but it was best to leave it in peace until they could find the truth and have proof to dissolve his last will.

Regina was suspicious of her mother but felt very happy for her father, so she decided to play along with Cora's game and support him. She didn't like Victor, anyway, because her uncle was a vicious man who liked to take things by the force and not only things but people too.

There were several rumors of the lascivious prince taking advantage of the maids they had for their service in the palace, but there was one story in particular she remembered. In her childhood, Regina had overheard some maids talking about Anita, a girl who had gotten pregnant and was banished from the kingdom, back when the prince was in his teen years, and how a big wolf attacked the arrogant boy that same night and left him with a big mark on his face.

A week after naming his successor the King was found dead on his bed. They claimed it was his sickness what depleted him but Regina knew very well how her mother could make things look as she pleased with the use of magic. She was sure she had seen Cora holding a glowing object in her hand the night before, just like she had done with Daniel's heart.

* * *

**The Sorcery Apprentice**

* * *

(Flash back)

Regina feared for her father because Cora could rip out his heart this time to control him, like she had done with Xavier in his last days. She could deal with the loss of her grandfather but losing her daddy was something she would never be able to face. He was the only gentle soul that had shown her compassion and even protection from her own sadistic mother on a few occasions. So in the pitch black of night she summoned Rumplestiltskin in her new bedchambers.

_- "Teach me how to rip out a heart." _Regina demanded.  
_- "Whose heart do you wish to conquer, princess?"_ He winked and giggled.  
_- "It isn't like that. I just… need to learn."_ The young apprentice responded doubtfully.

Rumplestiltskin studied her closely while walking around her like an amused predator.

_- "Alright, dearie! But it is not as simple as it looks." _He exclaimed making theatrical gestures with his hands.  
_- "That's why I'm asking you to teach me."_ Regina rolled her eyes.  
_- "You'll have to pass a test first."_ The evil imp spoke secretly.

Regina narrowed her eyes on the strange sorcerer as he moved to a side and summoned a big tall mirror against one of the walls of her chambers.

_- "A mirror?"_ Regina asked with confusion, putting her hands on her hips.  
_- "The Looking Glass, princess, not just any mirror." _He said sternly.  
_- "What does it do?" _Regina asked curiously.  
_- "It could be the window to your freedom… if used wisely." _He told her in an almost normal voice.

Regina walked toward the mirror and looked at her reflection with suspicious eyes. She turned to look at her mentor with disbelief but he encouraged her to continue investigating. She was surprised when her hand went through the glass and she felt warm air blowing at the other side of the object. She retrieved it quickly and her mouth gaped in shock. She then pushed her head into the mirror and had a glimpse at what was a colorful world with warm weather but Rumplestiltskin pulled her back before she could set foot on the greenest grass she had ever seen.

_- "Careful, dearie. It is a one way trip."_ The Dark One warned her.  
_- "Is finding a way back from there my test?"_ Regina asked with curiosity.  
_- "That is something for you to figure out."_ He finished and vanished.  
_- "A window to my freedom? A one way trip."_ Regina mumbled pacing around her room. _"I hate riddles!"_ She panted and hit her heel on the floor.

For a year, Regina kept wondering about the mysterious world at the other side of her gifted mirror but she didn't dare jumping inside because she might never find her way back. She left it to rest in the back of her mind, so she used a cloaking spell on the device and focused on mastering the rest of the spells in the new sorcery book she got from Rumplestiltskin. It looked just like her mother's book outside, but it was thicker and housed a tiny scroll in the center with a curse she couldn't yet unlock to read.

Regina was spying her mother with the use of another of her mentor's tools while she was speaking with a loyal servant who worked secretly for his new Queen. He had brought information about Victor getting some of their royal knights on his side to overthrow his brother and he was resourceful enough to give her a list with names. Regina felt anxious but somewhat relieved after seeing how Cora just smiled at the spy, paid him with several gold coins and dismissed him.

The sorceress apprentice continued looking at the crystal ball glowing on her lap and noticed Cora activating a secret passage in her library that lead into a hidden vault. She waved her hand over a big wall with several boxes that had small glowing objects and retrieved one of them. It was yet another heart and Regina heard her mother order her father to execute by hanging the knights involved in treason.

The princess was furious to find out her mother had indeed ripped out her own husband's heart to rule the kingdom through his puppet rendered body and she knew that night the purpose of Rumplestiltskin's mirror.

Regina was unsure if she could do it because no matter how resentful she was toward Cora, she still had the innate hope to see her change and become the good mother she had always dreamed to have. She still yearned for love, even if she could feel it no longer.

Up until then the Dark One's prodigy had done a good job keeping her magic lessons from Cora. She went into her mother's bedchambers while Cora was still inside her vault and sprinkled some poppy seed dust over her pillow to put her in a deep sleep that would buy her enough time to steal back her father's heart and return it to the chest it belonged to. But the young princess made a mistake when she left the book that was key to revealing the secret vault over the coffee table instead of the bookcase on her way out, and she was also oblivious of the spell that would warn Cora of any intruders and pull her from even the deepest sleep.

It didn't take too much thought for Cora to suspect her daughter and when Regina returned to her own bedchambers she found her mother already waiting inside for her. Cora was standing in front of the oversized mirror looking curiously at it.

_- "Mother!"_ Regina lost her breath with the spook.  
_- "Daughter. I see you have found a new interest in magic."_ She said calmly.  
_- "I've no idea what you're talking about, mother."_ Regina felt her heart race in fear.  
_- "Strange mirror you have in here, darling. I don't remember seeing it before." _Cora pointed out whilst looking at her own reflection cast on the glass.  
_- "It was a gift from my aunt Muriel." _Regina lied again.  
_- "Strange… that woman usually has a good taste. She must really dislike you, darling."_ Cora said as she turned around to face Regina, who was coming closer with caution like approaching a viper.  
_- "What did you need from my vault, honey?"_ She asked her daughter with a sweet tone.  
_- "What? I was just in the kitchen for some food. I get hungry at night, mother." _Regina tried to lie once again.

Cora put her hands on each of Regina's arms and added a gentle pressure, her magic quickly traveled to her fingertips and made Regina feel she had eagle claws digging into her flesh with fury. She squealed in pain and cried begging her mother for mercy.

_- "Now tell me the truth, dear."_ She asked again.  
_- "I wanted to free my father from your wickedness!" _Regina screamed with rage.  
_- "Regina, you both belong to me. Freedom is not an option."_ Her mother said chuckling and tightening her painful grip.  
_- "NO! I'm sick of you and your evil sorcery!"_ Regina raised her voice.  
_- "And what are you going to do about it?" _Cora mocked her helpless prisoner.  
_- "I'm getting rid of you!"_ She said in a mature voice that sounded dangerously low.  
_- "Enough with your tantrums, child. Let's just forget about all of this. I will forgive your bad behavior if you give back what you stole from me." _She offered.  
_- "You are unbelievable, Cora. How can you hurt our daughter like that?" _Henry emerged slowly from the entrance to the chambers.  
_- "Henry… go to bed. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow."_ His wife ordered.  
_- "You can no longer command me, Cora."_ He said bitterly.

Cora frowned and loosened her grip on Regina as Henry walked closer to them. The mature man entering his forties approached his wife and placed himself between mother and daughter as a protective barrier. Cora buried her hand inside his chest and found the heart that was stolen from her collection.

Regina yelled asking her to stop but Cora grinned maliciously adding pressure to the muscle captured in her hand still inside her husband's chest. Regina felt the electric impulse of her own simmering magic and moved past her father to push Cora violently toward the mirror standing behind her heartless mother.

The King fell unconscious on the floor as Cora got sucked into another world by the Looking Glass. Regina checked on her father for breath and then looked back to the mirror. She saw how Cora disappeared with a glowing heart in her hand before the mirror shattered trapping her eternally. The princess kept shaking her father but he remained unconscious. That last squeeze her mother gave him didn't kill him but it made damage beyond repair.

Rumplestiltskin appeared after the mirror shattered and grinned contently as he looked at Regina holding her father in her arms with desperation.

_- "Now I'm glad the black widow chose him instead of me." _He said with a laugh.  
_- "What?" _Regina blinked eyes trying to make some sense out of the comment.  
_- "Never mind! You finally passed the test, dearie! I'm here to congratulate you and move on to your graduation lesson."_ The Dark One said cheerfully.  
_- "My father, please help him first."_ Regina pleaded.  
_- "If you couldn't heal him your magic, there's nothing I can do to help him." _He told her quietly.  
_- "Don't be ridiculous. You are more powerful than me, help him!" _She demanded.  
_- "Dearie, Cora took his heart in a one way trip… and the window to that world is broken now."_ Rumplestiltskin explained slowly.  
_- "Is he going to die?"_ Regina asked with tears.  
_- "Eventually. Could be minutes." _He said and giggled at Regina's tormented reaction. _"Could also take years, but one thing is sure… He won't wake up for as long as Cora keeps his heart in her possession."_ He continued.  
_- "So I need to recover it and he will heal once I put it back."_ Regina mumbled.  
_- "IF you do find a way to travel a round trip to Wonderland." _He noted.  
_- "I will." _Regina muttered.  
_- "And that's what will make you my brightest apprentice in centuries!"_ He mused.  
_- "Have you had many?" _Regina asked curiously.  
_- "A handful. And all of them became powerful wizards and witches." _He told her.  
_- "Will I become an evil witch like my mother?"_ Regina asked with fear.  
_- "Queen, dearie." _The Dark One corrected her but she didn't get it.  
_- "About my father… What should I do?"_ Regina asked her mentor.  
_- "You already know. Now, can we move on to your last lesson?" _Her teacher was bored.

Regina had been learning her Master's tricks for two years now since Daniel's death. She easily replicated the incantation Rumplestiltskin had put on Daniel's body to keep it from deteriorating but she modified it to suit her father's circumstances. There was no glass coffin; she summoned him to his own bed because she would need a doctor the next morning to evaluate his condition and give the council the bad news about the King's inability to rule and later crown Regina as stated by Xavier's last will.

She spent all night practicing her new trick, the slave heart curse. They went to the stables and practiced with an old horse that would die soon anyway. She wouldn't cause more damage than the one nature was already inflicting on the sick steed. To her surprise, it was easier than she had thought because she didn't really care about the owner of the heart she was ripping out and she was desperate enough to cross the line separating magic from black sorcery.

_- "Excellent, dearie! Now crush it." _Rumplestiltskin praised and ordered.  
_- "Why? I have already succeeded." _Regina complained.  
_- "Because you will need to do that soon enough, but it won't be a horse's heart then." _He said in a barely audible voice.  
_- "But I don't want to." _Regina muttered.  
_- "You have no option." _He scolded.  
_- "There has to be a way without going dark." Regina tried to hold on to any remaining light.  
- "See, the thing is: you will be the youngest ruler of Gollider in history. With a carrot for a father, not to mention you're just a spoiled brat in your subjects' eyes." _He told her.  
_- "You're vile! Leave me alone."_ Regina grumbled.  
_- "As you wish, but you know it's truth." _He said before vanishing.

Regina stayed there in silence looking at the heart glowing inside her hand. She gave the sick horse one last look and kneeled next to him to say her farewell.

_- "I'm sorry Rosinante. You have been my only friend and now I will put you out of your suffering."_ The princess said before she crushed the heart as fast as she could to avoid extending the animal's agony more than it was inevitable. She cried her last tears over the steed that had been the bond between her and the stable boy and went back to sleep.


	20. The Queen & Magic

******A/N*** _I have named Regina's realm Gollider because I couldn't find names of the fairytale kingdom. I used as inspiration: Gold + Spinster + Mills because of the background story of Rumplestiltskin with Cora and King Xavier. Mills was the last name Regina claimed in Storybrooke but wasn't the original from their previous land. In fact, I couldn't find any last names at all and that's why I created this one._

* * *

**Queen of Gollider**

* * *

(Flash back)

Three weeks had gone by after the doctor found the King comatose and it was time to make a decision. He told the councilmen there was no hope for Henry and their kingdom couldn't remain without a King or Queen much longer.

It was a mystery what had happened to Cora but one they didn't care to resolve and there were already rumors of an uprising because there was no way they would accept a woman as their new ruler, much less a spoiled brat like Regina; a young maiden who refused marrying the King of one of the wealthiest realms.

The day Regina was crowned, her uncle Victor appeared in the middle of the ceremony and the knights she had heard about when spying on Cora were indeed on his side. One of them brought Henry's vegetative body with him and held a knife against his throat. Victor ordered the new Queen to abdicate the throne and he would let his brother live, but they would be banished from the land never to come back.

Regina felt acid burn her stomach and the strongest rage she had ever experienced. She walked slowly toward Victor and a purple glimmer swirled in her dark eyes as she extended out her arm and ripped out her own uncle's heart right before his eyes. He stood still in shock and everyone in the court screamed with fear.

They knew Cora had magical powers because she had spun gold out of straw in the past, but that was the only thing they ever witnessed from the magical woman and seeing Regina do what they had only known the Dark One for doing was horrifying and they didn't know whether to run or freeze to save their helpless lives.

Regina smirked holding the glowing heart in her hand and felt powerful for the first time in her life. It was wonderful; she loved the sensation and knew there was no turning back now from darkness. She had tasted it and it was sweet; the delicious taste of revenge served cold. Her mother was right when she told her power was freedom, because she now had it and was in control of not only her own life but another in her hand and a whole kingdom by her feet.

She looked at the knight threatening her father's life and with a movement of her eyes he went flying in direction of one of the columns. His back crashed against the cold marble, his spine broke and he fell dead next to another of his treason comrades. Henry was floating in the air with Regina's careful magic to protect him from any harm. She made him disappear in a purple mist to lock him safely in her own secret vault housing Daniel.

She turned her eyes again to her uncle and ordered his descendants to come stand behind him. Victor begged her to stop but she just gave his heart a light squeeze to make him shut up.

_- "The Queen ordered you to come." _Said the man who used to spy for Cora.

He then pushed three men and a young girl through the crowd and brought them to his Majesty's presence.

- _"Your Highness, this is his offspring."_ The slender man with red hair told her.  
_- "Thank you, Martin."_ She said to the greedy spy who used to travel the lands disguised as a puppeteer with his wife and son.  
_- "My dear cousins, I may be younger than most of you but I am your Queen now." _She told them gently.

Regina went to sit on her throne and adjusted the crown that had moved slightly to a side. She looked down upon her court and continued speaking. _"And this goes to everyone in Gollider."_ - She raised her voice._ "I won't tolerate any ruthless behavior against my persona or my family. If you try anything like what Victor has tried to play here, you will suffer the same fate as him and his minions." _She warned them.

Regina slowly crushed her uncle's heart to dust putting an end to his miserable life. Her cousins ran to their father's side and cried over the inert body.

_- "Oh, shut up! He isn't worth a single tear."_ She reprimanded.

One by one Regina started naming the knights, councilmembers and royals who had taken part in treason and just as she voiced it, the owner of said name burst into purple flames and became ashes laying on the floor after giving a loud painful scream.

_- "Anyone else?"_ Regina asked amused.  
_- "You're an evil witch just like your mother!"_ Muriel yelled at her.  
_- "No, Evil Queen." _Regina corrected her.

Regina made the woman's body hover and brought her to the dais with her. Her cousins begged for mercy and Regina could almost feel sympathy for them but it was too late to undo what darkness she had unleashed. She shook her head in disapproval and then dropped her aunt by her feet. She made her kneel and summoned in her hands the knife that was going to cut King Henry's throat before.

_- "A tongue shall be the price to pay for insulting the Queen of Gollider." _Regina said in a loud voice. She made her aunt's mouth open with magic and her tongue come out for her knife. The young Queen made a quick cut to the muscle and the splash of blood stained her golden dress with bright crimson. She grimaced and wiped off the blood from her knife on her already ruined gown.

_- "A beautiful color red is, don't you think so?" _The Evil Queen asked her injured aunt.  
_- "Oops! How rude of me to ask. I forgot you couldn't answer." _Regina said sarcastically.  
_- "Have you no heart?"_ Elena, the young girl, questioned through tears.  
_- "I do, honey. I should have cut off her head but I couldn't leave you an orphan."_ Regina answered warmly.

She banished her cousins from her Queendom and made it clear who was going to rule and how she was going to do it: through blood. And she did so for eight years until suddenly disappearing after winning a war she started with King Leopold.

They waited a year for Regina to return to their land and govern but not because they missed their Evil Queen, but because they feared unleashing her wrath again should she come back to find a throne already occupied by someone other than her.

One of her cousins who wasn't next in line to the throne reclaimed his sovereignty. André was a peaceful but brave ruler who had found a magical lamp in his traveling and now had a genie by his side to protect him and the realm, should the Evil Queen come back from her grave to haunt them.

* * *

(Present time)

A month has gone by and the wedding day is coming closer and not enough has been prepared. Snow White has taken control over everything related to the big event she has envisioned for her daughter. She has invited almost every realm's rulers to join them in their celebration. The only ones she avoided were King André and Queen Mary Ann, as she had heard about the way Regina became Queen of Gollider two years after rejecting her father's wedding proposal.

It was a horrible story she believed fake in the beginning, because Snow had met a very different Regina in her childhood but her mind quickly changed after meeting her True Love. As soon as the fifteen year old princess fell in love, the Evil Queen made herself present to torment her, because she should loose her True Love just like she made Regina loose hers.

Regina made it a sport to hunt Snow White and Prince Charming, while her vicious army focused on destroying Leopold's in the field to conquer his kingdom. The Enchanted Forest was a rich land and it would make Gollider the most powerful and wealthy realm of the fairytale world, if the Evil Queen succeeded in her vengeance.

Snow couldn't avoid remembering that part of her life with Regina. It still gave her nightmares about the times she had been close to loosing her life or David under the dark sorceress' rampage. She shook the images off her head and took a deep breath. She couldn't believe how dark someone without love in her life could become and then remembered when she drank a potion from Rumplestiltskin that made her forget about her True Love and brought her close to killing Regina in that occasion.

_- "A broken heart can make you do unspeakable things." _Snow murmured.  
_- "Did you say something, honey?"_ David turned around in bed to ask her.  
_- "No. I was just… thinking loudly."_ She answered and pecked his lips.

Snow got up from bed and went to gaze out the window of her tower. She looked up to the morning sky and thanked the heavens for giving Regina new love again, even if that was her own daughter. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep up with her former enemy's traps if she went back to her dark days of hunting her down. Snow wasn't a fit lad anymore, but Regina still was.

_- "What is it, Snow?"_ David came from behind and hugged her.  
_- "It just isn't fair how old I'm now and Regina is still a twenty year old muse." _She whined.

David chuckled at the sincerity in his wife's complaint and peppered her face with loving kisses.

_- "Just be happy for Emma. I'm not sure she would like her bride aging 28 years on her in the blink of an eye."_ He chuckled.  
_- "Are you speaking for yourself now? Do you dislike my mature look?"_ Snow narrowed her eyes on him.  
_- "What? NO. I find you even more beautiful as days come by."_ He assured and kissed her with passion.  
_- "You better do." _She kissed back and giggled as he carried her back to their bed.

(In the realm of Gollider)

André had heard word of Regina breaking free from her imprisonment just a week ago. News didn't travel as fast in the magical world as they would have wanted them to do. He learned from the event when one of his spies returned from Snow White's kingdom to deliver information about his beloved cousin coming back from her grave and even getting engaged to the heir of the Enchanted Forest.

_- "Maybe this is the time to get our revenge." _The heavy King said as his hand played with his coarse grey beard.  
_- "Please don't. You know what she is capable of."_ A slender woman around her forties pleaded.  
_- "She doesn't know what __**I**__ am capable of." _He muttered.  
_- "André, please! Think about the future of our linage. You know she could have everyone's hearts ripped out without a second thought." _The redhead begged.  
_- "Mary, you know we have the genie who will grant us two more wishes. He could easily destroy her for us."_ He insisted.  
_- "You can't be sure about that. She has the Dark One by her side."_ His wife reminded him.  
_- "But Mary... This genie said he can do anything except bring back the dead and make someone love you."_ André appealed again.  
-_ "Love, it is a mystery if a genie can defeat the Dark One. I wouldn't want to risk a chance."_ The curly haired woman was unmovable.  
_- "I guess you're right, Mary. But if she dares to set foot in our land I will show her no mercy."_ The King said firmly.  
_- "Until then, let us have peace."_ The Queen sighed deeply.

(At the Dark Palace)

_- "When will it start to show?"_ Emma asked with anxiety.  
_- "Maybe next month, Emma."_ Regina smiled gently.  
_- "Ugh! It feels like forever. I want to see a nice bump with my kid soon."_ The princess huffed.  
_- "But I don't. It is enough pressure knowing your mother is worried sick that it will show in the dress and she has already moved the day a month earlier."_ Regina sighed.  
_- "Which is fine for me. All I want is to show the world the amazing woman I am sharing my life with." _Emma said with pride.  
_- "You're sweet but I doubt they will agree with you."_ Regina smiled and kissed her rosy lips softly.  
_- "I wish at least you would. The past is behind and I hope one day you can see just how beautiful you are and I don't mean it just physically."_ Emma told her quietly.  
_- "You don't know what I've done in the past."_ Regina's eyes darkened and her face reflected shame and regret.

Emma cupped Regina's face in her hands and looked gently into her brown watery eyes.

_"Seeing you sad like this makes me sure that whatever you did in the past is not going to repeat."_ She said and placed a kiss on a corner of her eye. _"I love you just as you are and I will always be here for you when you wish to talk. I will do my best to remind you you're not alone anymore and we will have a family together surrounded by all the love and care your mother denied you." _Emma looked at the shocked look in Regina's face and continued._ "I know you still fear she might come back and harm you but I will be here to protect you. Just as I will keep our child safe from Rumplestiltskin."_

Regina was overwhelmed by Emma's deep words and her honest and pure display of love. She loved her just as she was, with her flaws and dark past. She didn't judge her or wanted to change her. She didn't expect anything from Regina other than to believe in herself and to love herself for the first time in her life. All Emma wanted was to see her happy and that was something nobody else had ever wished for the lonely brunette. Not even when she was a child. Her mother had always expected her to be something more. Her father loved her but he didn't really know how to assure her she was perfect just as she was. He was another puppet for Cora and he wasn't even allowed to display all the love he felt for his daughter, because his wife said he would spoil her rotten.

Regina remained silent, she was at a loss of words and Emma embraced her tightly to assure her she was there with her and for her. She nestled her forehead on Regina's and for a brief moment their minds interconnected and she could see all of what had been Regina's life before she met her. Emma pretended not to be shocked and waited to see if Regina had had the same experience as her, but Regina was as quiet as before and looked like she hadn't shared the memory flood with her partner.

Emma's mind remained unmoved from what she had just said, even now that she had actually seen what Regina had done in the past. It wasn't pretty, not even justifiable, but she loved her the same and now more than ever she vowed to herself she would guard her like a lion to protect her from any harm or temptation for darkness. Regina had darkened her heart more than anyone other than the Dark One had. And even if that potion she drank made her forget about revenge, darkness was always lurking around to bring back the Evil Queen from her self-induced sleep.

* * *

**The Price of Magic**

* * *

They spent their day training with magic. Regina was teaching Emma how to concentrate her power in a ball of energy in her hand.

_- "It is hard when you're talking in my ear!"_ Emma whined.  
_- "Or when the wind blows... Or when you can't keep your eyes off my backside... Or your hands."_ Regina scolded irritated but made Emma laugh.  
_- "It is a pretty good backside."_ Emma teased.  
_- "Seriously, Emma. It isn't that hard. Please try a little."_ Regina sighed.  
_- "I just have no motivation for magic."_ Emma huffed with boredom.  
_- "I will give you motivation. Think about Rumplestiltskin ripping your child from my arms while I'm frozen because he has control over me. Your sword has vanished with his magic and you are your only weapon available to save me and our baby."_ Regina said slowly with a dangerous voice giving her apprentice the right image.

Emma's eyes opened wide and her teeth clenched. What Regina said could very well be a real scenario and on the event of such an unfortunate encounter, she would have to use her own magic to protect her family with everything she had. The idea of having her wife and son in danger triggered the right sensors in the blonde and in a matter of seconds she had two big balls of golden energy in her hands. They were bright and powerful, just as Regina knew Emma was.

Regina smiled with satisfaction and approached her apprentice, she stood next to Emma and ordered in her ear to re-absorb the energy. Emma did as Regina commanded and the dangerous balls disappeared. Her hands felt like she had ants crawling on them and her fingertips were still shimmering lightly from the energy that had been concentrated a moment before there.

_- "I told you it wasn't so difficult to focus."_ Regina grinned.  
_- "Well, you sure know how to give someone motivation."_ Emma said breathing heavily. She was sweating like she had just come back from combat and felt exhausted.  
- _"Tired, dear?"_ Regina asked chuckling.  
_- "I feel wasted. This took all my energy."_ Emma answered, grasping for air.  
_- "Imagine if you had shot them instead or re-absorbing. That's when the fun begins."_ Regina smirked maliciously.  
_- "I think I've had enough fun for a day, thank you."_ Emma frowned.  
_- "You did okay, dear. I will let you rest."_ Regina nodded and walked back inside the palace.  
_- "OKAY? Just O.K.? Damn... I bet that was as good as you can get."_ Emma felt offended and naturally challenged, old habits die hard.  
_- "Don't even go there, honey. I'm pregnant and if you push me I can fry you in an instant."_ Regina mocked her.  
_- "Show me all you've got."_ Emma pressed her buttons again.

Regina turned around and twitched her lip in annoyance. She extended a hand and focused her energy with all her might, a balll the size of an adult head started to shine and Emma smiled thinking it was not as big as she had made hers, and there had been two of them. She winked at Regina playfully and that irked the brunette a little further. The former Evil Queen used her other hand now and she made two big fireballs hover in her hands, twice the size of Emma's.

_- "Showing off, are you not Queenie."_ Emma bickered.  
_- "Actually, that was me being humble."_ Regina said before letting even more of her power show and making both balls merge into one and duplicating the size again.  
_- "This is showing off."_ Regina said with pride.  
_- "Ooouuuhhh... Careful with that, Gina."_ Emma's pupils narrowed with the brightness and she felt scared because she started to see the vicious grin from the Evil Queen.  
_- "And this is how you use it."_ Regina said in a low voice as she shot the fireball toward the princess.

Emma couldn't believe the ball of fire was moving quickly on her way. She saw everything in slow motion but knew there was no way she would be able to dodge that amount of energy. She closed her eyes and waited for her fatal end but nothing happened. She opened one eye first to see and then the other. Her hands were holding Regina's energy ball still and began to absorb it. She felt the kick of adrenaline when a portion of that powerful blast got sucked into her body and felt like she couldn't handle more of it. Regina appeared close to her and reclaimed her magical fireball to re-absorb it.

_- "How do you feel?"_ Regina asked calmly.  
_- "Like I got high on unicorn's horn dust."_ Emma answered feeling dizzy and completely hyped up.  
_- "You only absorbed a third of my energy in that blast. You will be fine in a couple of hours."_ Regina smiled.  
_- "Holy fuck, I feel stoned."_ Emma put her hands on her temples feeling a terrible headache.  
_- "Language, dear."_ Regina rose an eyebrow.  
_- "Oh my God... You tried to kill me!" _Emma accused her and felt offended.  
_- "Nope. I knew very well what I was doing."_ Regina replied.  
_- "Remind me not to push your buttons again."_ The blonde pleaded.  
_- "As if that would make a difference."_ The brunette responded.  
- _"I love you?"_ Emma said confused.  
_- "Let's get inside."_ Regina beckoned her to follow.

As they were walking up the stairs to their bedchambers, Regina got dizzy and tripped on the steps. She started rolling down and Emma couldn't keep her balance to reach her and stop her from falling and injuring any further. A green light shone brightly and Tinker Bell was visible after it faded away. She used the power of her wand to stop Regina's fall and made her hover over to her bed. Regina was unconscious while the green fairy used her magic to heal the bruises she had gotten when she rolled down the stairs.

_- "How is the baby?"_ Emma asked in desperation.  
_- "I can't know yet, let me use my magic."_ Tinker Bell pushed the princess away because she kept tugging on her arm aggressively.  
_- "Please, you must save them! Why isn't Regina waking up? Tell me what's wrong!"_ Emma continued disturbing the fairy.

It was the effects of the excess of magical energy she had running in her veins. She was still hyper and wasn't doing any good to ease the tension in the chambers.

_- "Calm down, Emma! You're not helping!"_ Tinker Bell was growing irritated.  
_- "Emma... Tink... What happened?"_ Regina opened her eyes slowly and looked around the room surprised to see Tink running her wand over her body.  
_- "Gina, you fell down the stairs. Tinker Bell appeared just in time to save you."_ Emma finally calmed down.

Regina suddenly felt excruciating abdominal pain and twitched in her bed. Her hands went to cover her belly and some tears came out of her eyes.

_- "What's happening to me, Tink?"_ Regina asked with tears of pain.  
_- "That's what I wish to know. What were you doing, Regina?"_ Tink asked with worry.  
_- "I was teaching magic to Emma. I may have used an excessive amount. "_ She answered with a raspy voice.  
_- "I see. I came here because the Blue Fairy sent me. She said the Evil Queen was back and had unleashed a powerful attack."_ Tinker Bell told her.  
_- "She kind of did but it wasn't like that."_ Emma mumbled.  
_- "That's what I thought. We all felt the intensity of the magic you were using and got worried... I hope you can understand."_ Tinker Bell said gently.  
_- "Don't worry, I'm not doing it again."_ Regina said panting with some remaining pain.  
_- "You better stay away from magic for a while, Regina. Your baby doesn't seem to like it."_ The green fairy said warmly.  
_- "How is he?"_ Emma and Regina asked at the same time.  
_- "I can see now he has calmed down. What you felt was his rejection for what you were doing."_ The fairy answered.  
_- "How can he even know? Isn't it too early?"_ Regina asked with confusion.  
_- "This baby is very special, Regina. You both need to make sure he is safe and content."_ Tinker Bell told them.  
_- "Of course, that's what we are trying to do."_ Regina said with annoyance.  
_- "That's why I'm learning magic, so I can protect him from the Dark One."_ Emma shared.

They both explained the fairy about Regina's deal with Rumplestiltskin and how they had to find a way to protect the life Regina carried in her womb. They had not many options other than to face the Dark One and defeat him or make a new deal to keep their baby.

_- "We haven't heard word of the Dark One's whereabouts for a month."_ Tinker Bell shared the secret with them.  
_- "What? I thought you always kept a good track of him in your fairy realm."_ Regina questioned.  
_- "Yes, but not even Yellow could make contact with him. He is not inside our world."_ Tink told her in barely audible voice.  
_- "Wait, there are other worlds?"_ Emma shook her head.  
_- "Yes. And there are rumors that he might be in Wonderland." _The green fairy revealed.

Regina's face turned pale and her mouth gaped in fear. Her worst nightmare might come true in the end and there would be no power big enough to save her from submitting to her mother's will.

_- "No..."_ The brunette exhaled deeply.  
_- "Do you happen to know what he could possibly be looking for in that world?"_ Tink asked with worry.  
_- "Cora."_ Regina muttered.  
_- "She's alive?"_ Tink asked with shock.  
_- "Yes. I sent her through a portal trying to free my father and myself from her."_ Regina answered nervously.  
_- "I must inform the Blue Fairy. If what you suspect is true, we will all be in danger."_ Tinker Bell spoke with a trembling voice.

She gave Regina a green glowing necklace to wear constantly. It would keep the baby calm in case she needed to use magic and avoid another episode like the one they had just experienced. They needed magic and the baby had no other choice than to start to accept it. The enchanted necklace would release very small amounts of fairy dust to soothe the child and if Regina used a big amount of her power, the necklace would release pixie dust to counteract any moody bursts from the baby. Tinker Bell said her fare well and went back to the fairy realm to alert her superior.

_- "So the baby will be constantly doped."_ Emma commented with amusement.  
_- "It is either that or he might kill me. It looks like it is my fate to be controlled by the people I love most."_ Regina said with sadness.  
_- "Maybe if I talk to him... If he already has a little mind of his own perhaps he might understand it is wrong to hurt his mommy."_ Emma proposed.  
_- "I hope he does. I'm not fond of the idea of using magic on him like this."_ Regina commented.

Emma placed both her hands over Regina's still flat tummy. She pressed a kiss to her belly and then started speaking sweetly to the baby.

_"Your mommy and I love you very much. We want to make the world a better place to welcome you into our lives, but for that we might need to use magic. You see, it is a part of our lives, just like you are now, and we can't deny it. Please believe your mommy meant no harm to me, baby. We weren't fighting. We were... playing. Can you please give us a chance and not hurt my sweet Gina again?"_ Emma asked with softness.

Emma's hands glowed golden while she was holding Regina's tummy. Regina felt the warmth coming from her fiance but then something different. She felt how the tiny spark of light inside her belly twinkled and the skin of her belly glowed in a pale blue light. Regina and Emma looked at each other in surprise and knew their baby was responding and Regina put her hand over one of Emma's.

_"I really never would hurt Emma. I'm sorry if I scared you, please forgive me and I hope you can trust me."_ Regina said with difficulty because it seemed silly to do this, but she could see it was working and it gave her a new warm feeling to know there was really a little being inside there that was communicating.

Regina's hand glowed in a bright blue light. It was not her magic, she knew that. But how could that be coming from her baby? He was truly special and allowing her not only to use her magic but even his.

_- "I think he really does believe us."_ Regina said with surprise as her hand glowed.  
_- "Is that his doing?"_ Emma asked with doubt.  
_- "I can tell you it isn't me."_ Regina answered.  
_- "Maybe he can teach me magic."_ Emma chuckled.  
_- "Maybe even me."_ Regina said surely.

Emma kissed Regina's belly again and then reached for her fiance's lips. She kissed her very sweetly and noticed the glow ceased from Regina's hand. They hugged as they laid in bed to get some well needed rest and Emma kept a protective grip around Regina, as she noticed she started twitching soon after falling asleep. She heard Regina name Cora in her discomfort and pressed a kiss to her temple. The magical princess felt confidence in her magic this time and with her hand she focused all the love she felt for her Gina and the warm glow emanating from it soothed the brunette after Emma caressed her head gently a few times.


	21. Curious Hearts

**Curious Hearts**

* * *

(Flashback)

In the vivid world of Wonderland a magic portal opened and allowed the Dark One to set foot in the timeless dimension. He had found a way to make a round trip that would allow him to return once he got what he had come for.

He started walking the road that lead him into a labyrinth he was not very excited to walk through. He set the hedge maze on fire and let the small castle hidden in the center show for him. A group of knights quickly ran to meet him and tried to imprison him but he just giggled at their failed attempts. He would appear and disappear in a crimson tinted smoke just when one of them thought he had him in his grip.

Rumplestiltskin finally got bored of his own game and asked the knights to bring him to Cora, but they didn't know whom he meant and escorted him to the palace and presented the intruder to their Queen.

_- "What are you doing here?"_ The Queen was perplexed.  
_- "The black widow! Have you missed me?" _He asked with aversion.  
_- "Show the Queen of Hearts some respect!" _One of the knights yelled at him.  
_- "It's alright, please leave us."_ Cora signaled her knights and dismissed them.  
_- "Queen of Hearts? Ironic, considering you lack one." _The bitter imp said with amusement.  
_- "Have you just come to insult me, dear Rumple?"_ She walked down the dais to confront him.  
_- "After what you made Regina do to me."_ Cora questioned with resentment.  
_- "It isn't like you to feel hurt, dearie, because we both know you can't."_ The Dark One pointed.  
_- "Enough with the drama. Tell me the reason of your visit."_ Cora sounded dangerous.  
_- "I have come to charge you for our deal." _He said with a wicked grin.  
_- "I don't owe you anything."_ Cora answered sharply.  
_- "Has your brain gone missing like your heart did?" _He spit out.  
_- "Isn't it a little late to come ask for me to bear your child?"_ Cora laughed.

Rumplestiltskin giggled and came even closer to her. He ran a finger over the embroidery on Cora's gown bust and smirked.

_- "Your first-born is no longer what I need."_ He answered slowly.  
_- "And what is it then?"_ She asked emotionless.  
_- "I need you to interrupt a wedding." _He said with glee.  
_- "Whose wedding?"_ She asked with curiosity.  
_- "Your daughter's."_ He told her between tight lips.  
_- "In that case, it will be my pleasure." _Cora said with contentment.

Time in Wonderland advanced slowly. What seemed like a few hours were in fact weeks in the Fairytale world. Rumplestiltskin took his time to tell Cora about everything that had happened since her absence. If the Queen of Hearts had had one in her chest, she wouldn't just be sitting there with a cup of tea listening to the man who manipulated Regina against her, but Cora didn't care for her daughter's love anymore.

Regina betrayed her trust when she sent her through the Looking Glass and that kind of behavior wouldn't go unpunished. Her naughty child had proven not to fear her any longer but Cora knew now how to bend her daughter to her will. The Dark One had just provided her with the necessary tools to make her submit once again.

_- "Emma… I'm curious about the woman who tamed that naughty child of mine."_ She said as she stood next to him.  
-_ "You will meet her soon enough." _The dark imp told her with amusement.  
_- "Just when this place was starting to grow in me."_ Cora said with sarcasm.  
_- "If you desire to come back I can always help with that, dearie!" _Rumplestiltskin quickly offered.  
_- "Don't you dare." _Cora's tone was final.

The Dark One summoned a big hat in his hands and put it on the ground. He made it spin rapidly and a magical twister began pulling them into its eye. They both jumped inside the wormhole and traveled back to their homeland.

* * *

(Present time)

In the Enchanted Forest

Regina and Emma teleported to Snow White's palace with the use of magic. This time it was Emma's gold sparkling smoke what engulfed and transported them into her castle's great room. It was a trick that made her feel slightly dizzy afterwards but she was growing fonder of how handy this newfound magic was.

Snow and Charming were having difficulty getting used to Emma's use of magic but they trusted her and knew it was for the better. David was the best swordsman in the land but his skill wouldn't suffice when it came to dueling the Dark One. Only Emma and Regina combined could stand a chance against Rumplestiltskin.

_- "Emma, Regina. You're late!"_ Snow reprimanded.  
_- "Late for what, mom?"_ Emma frowned.  
_- "Rehearsal!"_ Snow said desperately.  
_- "I don't see how that's necessary, Snow."_ Regina said with boredom.  
_- "She didn't… just… say that. Did she?"_ Charming looked in disbelief at Emma.

Father and daughter turned to look at Snow White with fear and saw just how furious she was. If eyes could throw fireballs they knew Regina would be toast by now. But Regina was ignoring the look and instead asked the Queen for some water to drink, as if she were one of her maids. Yes, carrying the little prince inside her had its perks.

Snow sighed deeply and looked at Emma annoyed.

_- "Why don't you summon your woman a glass."_ The Queen told her princess.  
_- "Uh… sure."_ Emma said nervously. She waved her hand and a glass of wine appeared in Regina's hand.  
_- "Really, dear?" _Regina raised her eyebrow and then smiled.  
_- "UGH! Let me try again."_ Emma whined and her father took the glass and drank it.  
_- "Mmm... Not bad."_ He commented with humor.

Emma tried again and a new glass with fresh water was summoned. Regina gave it a doubtful taste and then drank it with patience, enjoying the exasperated look in Snow White's face.

_- "Can we go know?"_ The Queen glared and asked with a tired voice.  
_- "Relax. You look old when you glare like that, little princess."_ Regina pushed her buttons.  
_- "Some of us actually age."_ Snow protested.

Emma and David again looked at each other and then back at their women. They knew better than to step into a catfight but curiosity got the best of Emma and finally asked what she wanted to ask for some time now.

_- "How old would you be now, Gina?" _She asked innocently but Regina turned to look at her with offense.  
_- "I'm twenty-six."_ The brown-eyed answered sternly.  
_- "She's fifty-four!" _Snow finally had the chance to get back at the caramel beauty.  
_- "I'm not. And that is something I will forever be grateful for with your parents."_ She bit back.  
_- "Me too! Although, I would still have ban… never mind."_ Emma almost said it but stopped when she realized her mother could hear her and was disgusted with her improper comment. Regina just smiled and mentally high-fived Emma for her bad habit of thinking loudly.

The King was the first to go into the chapel because the women had to check through Snow's choices of garments, adornments and other things. They finally got to Emma's old bedchambers and were surprised to find it stacked with chests and presents from the neighbor kingdoms.

_- "There are already gifts here?" _Emma asked in surprise.  
_- "Of course, the wedding is in a couple of days."_ Snow answered normally.  
_- "I'm surprised we're getting any at all." _Regina said in low volume.  
_- "I guess they would rather send you a present than a war declaration." _Snow blurted.  
_- "Mom!"_ Emma glared.  
_- "I'm sorry! I didn't mean that."_ Snow apologized sincerely.  
_- "But it is true and that's fine. I just find it difficult to believe all of this."_ Regina sounded sad.  
_- "Are you feeling bad again, love?" _Emma asked with concern.  
_- "No. I just… I need to check everything for poison and whatnot."_ Regina answered.  
_- "When will you learn to trust? Not everyone is up to do evil, Regina."_ Snow lectured her.  
_- "You don't know that until you do. Now let me do my search." _She ignored the Queen.

Regina walked around the chambers with her hands extended and she went through every single thing there was in the place. Her hands were glowing with a purple light that sometimes flickered blue as she hovered them over the items.

She continued moving around while Emma and Snow stared with curiosity at her, until she suddenly stopped in front of a wooden box when her glow became red. She kneeled slowly and passed her hand once again and a purple light covered the chest. She waved her hand over the lock at the front and carefully opened the box. The contents revealed a three-headed snake that was moving with difficulty because of Regina's incantation.

_- "What did you find?" _Snow asked as she and Emma came to her side.  
_- "A memorable gift from King Charles."_ Regina answered.  
_- "Woah! Careful, Gina!"_ Emma kicked the lid closed.  
_- "Don't worry. I made them confused with my spell." _She appeased them.  
_- "I never thought someone would send something like that." _Snow said with shock.  
_- "It's a good thing I'm here to check." _Regina told them calmly.  
_- "I'm going to have a serious talk with that man." _Snow crossed her arms over her chest.  
_- "Leave it as it is. No one's hurt and I don't wish to answer to his war invitation." _Regina remained unflustered.  
_- "You really have changed."_ Snow said with warmth in her voice and a sparkle of light in her eyes.  
_- "So they say."_ Regina returned an honest smile.  
_- "What do we do with this box?" _Emma asked while she lifted it in her hands.  
_- "Leave that to me."_ Regina grinned with a hint of malice.

Regina waved her hand in front of the box and the viper's chest disappeared from Emma's hands. It appeared under King Charles's bed in his castle, without the lid closing the deathly trap. It was now in the hands of fate if those snakes would climb to his bed when the night became cold and a warm body invited them to join him in his last sleep.

_- "So… back to the wedding."_ Snow called their attention.  
_- "Regina, what are you wearing for the big day? A dress I assume?"_ She asked nervously.  
_- "Your assumption is accurate, Snow."_ Regina answered politely.  
_- "Mine?"_ Snow asked with hope. She just wanted someone, anyone, to pass it onto.  
_- "WHAT? No. I would rather wear my mother's."_ Regina blurted.  
_- "What's wrong with my dress? Neither Emma nor you want it."_ The Queen complained.  
_- "It is just… a bit small for me to wear."_ Regina said against her pride because she didn't want to hurt her future mother-in-law for the first time.  
_- "Oh God! Let me see!"_ Snow had forgotten for a moment about Regina's condition.  
_- "It is starting to show nicely!"_ Emma said with a bright smile feeling pride in her doing.  
_- "You're right. The swell is evident now, not much but it is there." _Snow said gently.  
_- "We won't hide our son."_ Emma said firmly.  
_- "Maybe nobody will even notice." _Regina tried to soften after Emma's harsh tone.  
_- "I just want everything to be perfect."_ Snow said sheepishly.  
_- "And it will be."_ Emma moved to place a kiss on her mother's forehead.

They left to rehearse with some of their friends. There was Red, Granny and Tink. After a couple of hours, Snow considered it perfect and they went to have a feast in honor of the soon to be wedded couple. Everything was delicious and Emma ate until she had difficulty with her breathing. She just loved whenever Granny appeared to cook her traditional dishes for the royal family and missed that in the Dark Palace.

Their food at the Dark Palace was mostly summoned with magic because Emma didn't like cooking and she was horrible at it. She would burn water if you asked her for tea and Regina couldn't bring herself into the kitchen because of the mixed scents of ingredients. They made her feel sick and turned her stomach with her pregnancy. Magic food was tasty but it lacked that extra spice some called "love". It somehow fed not only your body but your soul too.

Regina enjoyed it as well, but she didn't eat like there would be no tomorrow. She didn't feel hungrier than before getting pregnant and her aesthetics were still a priority in her list, so she looked after her figure with strict caution. But she was tempted to accept David's invitation to have them everyday for dinner at the palace. Now that Emma had magic too, it should be no problem with transportation.

* * *

In the Dark Palace

_- "I can't believe how quickly time has passed."_ Emma said to Regina.

Regina was wrapping her robe when Emma came close and untied the knot to reveal her naked belly again.

_- "Eight weeks and this is still so small."_ The blonde continued.

She kneeled before Regina to kiss her tummy. It had become a nightly routine before sleeping.

_- "I hope you still find it as attractive once it's bigger than a dragon's egg."_ Regina teased.  
_- "Even more then."_ Emma assured her.

Regina leaned down and cupped Emma's face in her soft hands. She looked lovingly into sparkling green eyes and brushed her red lips gently over Emma's. Pale lips trapped tinted in their loving grip and deepened the smooch. Emma slowly stood up and picked Regina in her arms to carry her to their bed.

They never broke the kiss on their way until it was too much for Emma to control her urge for going after Regina's sweet scented neck. The smell of lavender and honey had grown into her and she swore she could almost taste it.

Regina let out a soft moan when Emma's tongue slid down her neck savoring the sweet hint of honey she could feel in her buds but not quite fully taste. Her lover continued searching for the source of this new addicting treat. She would kiss and then let the tip of her tongue touch the surface of Regina's perfectly smooth skin. She moved past her collarbone and lift up her head to look into brown eyes with desire.

Regina tapped a finger over her lips and Emma obeyed kissing them hungrily. She nipped and pulled at her lower lip enjoying the sound Regina made with every movement. Her hands had by now memorized every inch of Regina's body and knew just when, where and how to touch her mistress for the desired reaction.

The Princess cupped her muse's breasts in her hands and caressed them gently; her fingers teasing the perked up pebbles turning the brunette's breathing heavier and her moaning louder. Their tongues met to play in a sultry kiss that lasted longer than their usual. It was pure bliss being together like this. There was no fear, no worries. They were letting love rule that night and got lost in each other's bodies.

Regina glided her long nails gently up Emma's nude back making her groan in delight. It encouraged her to remain face to face and on top. She slowly positioned her center in between Regina's welcoming legs to grind against her luscious core, maintaining a sultry kiss that complemented their passion.

They moved together in rhythm; their bodies already tuned to each other. They felt the air thicken with magic as tiny gold and purple sparkles shimmered all over the chamber. Their bodies glistened with beads of perspiration that reflected the light scintillating around them, making them look like little diamonds adorning their physique.

A strong wave traveled their bodies at the same time giving them a mind-blowing experience. But Emma could still push a little further and she knew madness was just around the corner, and she would make both of them reach that peak.

Green eyes glowed brighter, just like Regina's seemed to be shimmering as well. Emma arched her back lightly and Regina used that opportunity to catch one of her hard nipples in her mouth to torture it. Emma felt she was drifting into a blissful state without conscience but was brought back with a nibble from Regina's teeth that made her moan loudly.

That peak she knew they could reach quickly came and they quivered with the quake traveling their bodies. Emma collapsed over Regina's torso and looked for her mouth to kiss her one more time. They shared a subtler kiss with heavy breathing and turned to a side to lay to rest after getting completely drained with each other.

Emma had Regina inside her protective arms and kissed her on the back of her head.

_"I adore you."_ She whispered in her ear.  
Regina turned around to look into her eyes. _"And I love you."_

They both smiled with happiness and closed their eyes to get some sleep. They would have a long day ahead of them tomorrow.

The big day had come and Regina and Emma were feeling the pressure of living up to Snow White's expectations. It was a familiar feeling for Regina because she had always had to please her mother, but this was slightly different since it was Snow the new matriarch to satisfy. At least it was one without black magic to force her into submission, she thought.

Regina summoned the dress that had been her mother's. It wasn't because of Cora's wish for her to wear it when she was to be married with a King, but because it was the memory of how the dark sorceress married a kind man like her father and she saw that same resemblance in her own wedding. Traditions were meant to be repeated, only this time she would make sure her marriage didn't have the same end as her parents'.

Emma had transported to her father's chambers to get the monarchical uniform she was to wear for the wedding. A silver tunic with gold thread embroidered in elegant patterns adorned the emblematic suit of a rich King. Her father put the medals on the left side of her chest. One with the royal emblem of the lion and a flower and another of the enchanted tree; her heritage. Her majestic look was accentuated by a dark purple band going from left to right across her torso and a velvet cape in the same hue honoring her bride's favorite color.

Emma was waiting at the altar for her bride to come. Her father and her mother were beside her. Tinker Bell was on the opposite side waiting for Regina, who was walking down the aisle on her own.

Emma turned to look at her bride and lost her breath. She thought she was in a dream when her eyes took in the image of her gorgeous wife-to-be dressed in the elegant champagne dress with crystal beading on her bust. Her long black curls swung with grace behind her and she looked like a Queen in her own right. Even those who weren't fond of their union couldn't avoid letting their jaws drop when they watched the regal lady move with confidence across the room.

There was certain shyness in her brown eyes but she wouldn't let people notice it. Only Emma could see it and it gave her a warm feeling. She felt the urge to run to her and kiss her but she had to stay in her place to have the ceremony her mother had dreamed of.

Regina had almost made it to the altar when a crimson smoke appeared beside her. Rumplestiltskin materialized grabbing onto her arm to walk her the last steps closer to her Princess bride, making everyone whimper in fear.

_- "Come, dearie! Don't leave your grrrroom waiting."_ He said as he dragged her along.  
_- "What are you doing here?" _Regina asked in shock, breaking free from his grip.  
_- "I couldn't leave my pupil alone in her big day." _He answered with a pained demeanor.  
_- "You never come with good intentions." _The brunette told him.  
_- "You hurt my feelings, little monster! And I had even brought you a present."_ He put a hand on his chest in offense.

A mature voice came from behind them. The gates opened with a gust and a woman Regina and Snow knew very well became visible for them.

_- "Sorry I'm late." _Cora said as she moved with grace toward the unwed couple.

Emma drew out her sword and positioned herself in front of Regina. She looked at Cora with threatening eyes and kept a constant stare.

_- "Emma, I assume."_ Cora said gently.  
_- "What have you come for, Cora?"_ Emma didn't feel an ounce of fear, unlike everyone else.  
_- "Is that any way to address your future mother-in-law, princess?"_ Cora said with disgust.  
_- "I see why you chose her, sweetheart."_ She looked at her daughter with disapproval.  
_- "Please let them have their wedding in peace, Cora."_ Snow pleaded.  
_- "Little Snow, my, you look really… grown up."_ The former duchess commented with ill will.  
_- "Mother! Please… let me be happy for once."_ Regina begged with tears, her voice breaking.

Everyone in court felt sympathy for Regina after hearing her younger voice come out and seeing her body trembling with as much fear as the one they all felt.

_- "After everything I did for you, child, you pay me like this."_ Cora said bitterly.  
_- "When I said you would be Queen I didn't expect it to be like this."_ She continued.  
_- "I'm Queen of nothing and I don't care about what you expect anymore." _Regina found her voice again and felt she could face her mother.  
_- "Do you not?" _Cora came closer to Emma making Regina freeze on her spot.  
_- "How did this Savior achieve saving your wretched heart?"_ Her mother narrowed her eyes on the blonde curled princess with curiosity.

Regina felt scared but relieved at the same time because she knew Emma's heart couldn't be ripped out. At least she couldn't do it before, but could Cora achieve claiming the Savior's heart? It was something she didn't want to find out.

_- "I think the blue wench over there might have an answer for that!"_ Rumplestiltskin shouted pointing at the Blue Fairy.  
_- "What? Don't bring me into your family mess."_ The fairy felt angered and had her wand ready.  
_- "Only one way to find out."_ Cora looked at Regina with a dangerous gleam.  
_- "Go ahead and try."_ Emma challenged and put back her sword.  
_- "No! Emma!"_ Regina hated Emma's reckless nature for the first time.  
_- "Stop it Cora! Guards!"_ Snow yelled and sent her guards against her but Rumplestiltskin whipped his fingers and red smoke turned knights into helpless mice.

Cora was amused by Emma's recklessness and she was going to enjoy ripping out this heart in particular more than any other she had ever claimed. She stretched her hand and smiled broadly before violently pushing her hand into the blonde's chest. It took her a brief moment to grab hold of the curious heart in her hand and it was becoming difficult to draw it out.

_- "What in the world are you?"_ Cora said in barely audible voice.

Emma smiled proudly when the dark sorceress strained trying to rip out her heart.

_- "Whatever it is, I will find out and take it next time."_ Cora menaced before drawing out an empty hand and vanishing in a purple smoke together with the Dark One.

The Blue Fairy quickly turned mice back into their human form and everyone attending to the wedding started to relax after the terrifying visit, but became worried again when Emma fell on her knees after the two evil beings left the sacred chamber.

Her parents, Regina and their fairies quickly made it to her side to help her stand up.

_- "Are you okay, baby?"_ Snow asked her child with worry.  
_- "Yes, but it hurts a lot. It wasn't like last time."_ Emma told her.  
_- "Last time?"_ The blue fairy asked bewildered.  
_- "Yes. I tried it before with the same outcome."_ Regina answered making them frown.  
_- "How was this different, Emma?"_ Tinker Bell asked with confusion.  
_- "I felt she was close to taking it. The other time I didn't feel anything, like there was nothing there to be taken but I could feel it now."_ The Princess breathed heavily.

Tinker Bell's eyes widened in realization and tried to look away from the party gathered around Emma. Her somber demeanor was obvious to the Blue Fairy and she wouldn't let it slip.

_- "What do you know?" _She asked Green with a stern voice.  
_- "What? Me? Nothing!"_ The novice tried to get away with it.  
_- "No, you _**_do_**_ know something."_ Snow White looked closely.  
_- "I… may have done something forbidden. But it was with good intention!" _Tink confessed.  
_- "Does this have something to do with that stolen Pixie Dust?" _Blue asked remembering.  
_- "Yes…"_ Tinker Bell looked guilty and started to speak.

She told them about the special mix she had prepared with the ashes she harvested in Regina's stable. The Pixie Dust had helped her fix it into Snow White's baby, whom she had been treating ever since early in her conception. Her excuse was to bring back Regina's True Love and save her, and everyone for that matter, but it didn't justify her crime.

_"When True Love's kiss broke Cora's curse on Regina, the shield made from Daniel's heart ash shattered and went back into Emma's chest completing her own heart. That gold glow you witnessed was both your hearts setting free from Cora's curse and going back home."_

The fairy explained carefully trying not to confuse them any further. It was even hard for her to fully understand what she had done there.

_- "Do you have any idea of what you've done?"_ Blue was furious.  
_- "Yes. I saved them from losing each other."_ Green defended her actions.  
_- "Snow could have not made it through her pregnancy!"_ Blue scolded.  
_- "But she did. They both did..."_ Tinker Bell looked at the floor realizing what could have been the price of her magic.  
_- "Oh God, this is too much." _Snow felt she was going to faint and David caught her.  
_- "A match made in heaven, huh?"_ Charming teased attempting to lighten the mood.  
_- "More like in hell." _Snow blurted.  
_- "I don't care. I love her and we will marry."_ Emma recovered her strength and slid her arm under Regina's to walk her to the altar.  
_- "Are you still doing this?" _The Blue Fairy asked in surprise.  
_- "Of course. That's the reason why we came here."_ Emma answered.  
_- "The wedding will resume!"_ The King announced their guests, who were just as confused as them.

They made their vows and True Love's kiss sealed their promises. Everyone clapped showing their support to the couple and they left to ballroom, so the married couple could share their first waltz in celebration of the sacred bond.

Cinderella was the first to come greet them. She was very happy for the newly weds and gave each of them a hug before leaving. She apologized because she had to go early since her little Alexandra was very clingy and they knew she would give hell to her nana until she had mommy and daddy come to read her a story.

Jasmine and Aladdin had also been invited to the wedding. They attended gladly because Snow White had been one of the few princesses who felt happy about their union. Not many royals supported Jasmine's marriage to a thief but Snow wasn't judgmental and just like she was happy for Cinderella for overcoming the obstacles, she was for Aladdin for proving himself worthy of Agrabah's sweetheart.

Seeing Jasmine made Emma a little nervous. The now Empress of Agrabah had been her first girl crush and she still remembered the night she asked the cinnamon skinned beauty to give her a chance. That was before knowing Aladdin was already winning her over with the help of a witty genie.

Regina noticed the struggle in Emma and felt a little jealous because of the way her now wife was looking at Jasmine. But how could she avoid it? The dark skinned lady was wearing a revealing turquoise sari open at the belly that let her alluring curves show nicely. Regina slid her arm behind the blonde and pinched her in the butt to snap her out of trance. They thanked Jasmine for her company and the amazing presents she brought from her land with all kind of oriental rugs, lamps and décor for their new home.

Princess Aurora had been one of those who didn't come to the wedding. The same had happened in Jasmine's union. She was strict when it came to tradition and was slightly bitter for a reason only a couple knew. Emma being one of them, since she had learned about it from no other than Mulan. The "only" woman in Robin's merry group of men, because Emma was a man named Henry in their eyes.

When Mulan confronted her because she suspected she was hiding something, Emma revealed her secret. The female warrior understood the hardships of being a rebellious woman and respected her decision to appear a man before her comrades. On exchange she trusted her own secret: her love for Aurora, and how the princess rejected her because it wouldn't be "normal", but not because she didn't return her feelings.

Overall, it was a fabulous party once they digested the bitter experience from earlier. Snow had overdone it with the spectacle she got for entertainment of their invitees. The best artists were performing acrobatics with mastery; food was abundant and delicious to please even the pickiest; thousands of flowers embellished the palace and there wasn't a corner that hadn't been carefully thought out by a professional decorator.

It was her dream after all, to give her child only the best she could offer. She didn't do it to show off how wealthy her realm was. It was to show her daughter just how much she loved her and how she welcomed the partner she had chosen with the same affection.


	22. A Wedding Nightmare

**A Wedding Nightmare**

* * *

They were completely drained when the last guests retreated to their assigned chambers. Emma and Regina could finally leave to get some rest too, but they didn't want to stay in that castle. They transported back to the Dark Palace to get some rest in the bed that had molded to them and felt more welcoming than the one in Emma's bedchambers.

Emma was fast to fall asleep, as if there hadn't been a mishap during the big day. Regina was restless instead. She felt her head throbbing and couldn't get her eyes to shut close. She got up from bed and walked to her balcony to call for Tinker Bell. The little green fairy came flying her way after a brief moment.

_- "What's wrong, dearie?" _The little figure asked while she was still hovering.  
_- "I need help with my Cora problem." _Regina answered nervously. She felt something was off.  
_- "I know. That's why _**_I _**_came."_ Tink turned into Rumplestiltskin instead of her full shape.  
_- "You!"_ Regina nearly lost her breath.  
_- "I'm here to offer you a deal, dearie."_ He said while looking at his nails carefree.  
_- "What is it?"_ Regina asked doubtfully.  
_- "I want you to cast the curse."_ Rumplestiltskin said dangerously.  
_- "And what do I get?"_ She asked narrowing her glare.  
_- "Freedom from Cora and to keep your first-born." _Her mentor replied solemnly.  
_- "You know I can't cast the curse."_ Regina reminded him.  
_- "Because of the heart of the thing you love most?" _He asked in a childish voice.  
_- "You know that. I can't and I won't hurt my… Emma."_ She said firmly.  
_- "Is she the only person you love?"_ He asked with fake curiosity already knowing the answer.  
_- "Cora..." _Regina gaped in realization.  
_- "You could kill two birds with one stone, dearie!"_ He chuckled with amusement.  
_- "You only brought her back so I would cast your curse."_ She said bitterly.  
_- "I had to save her for a rainy day."_ He said apologetically.  
_- "But she keeps it hidden… her heart"_ She told him going inside her mind.  
_- "Does she?"_ He said quietly as he summoned a small box over Regina's dresser.  
_- "Told you I was a good friend." _He said before he vanished.

Regina appeared inside her secret vault. She went first to visit her father's crystal coffin in a room next to Daniel's to bid him farewell. It was no use now to hold on to their bodies since their hearts and souls had already left them to be born anew.

_- "You were the only ones in all the realms who always believed in me." _She whispered.

She cried with deep sorrow as her magic vanished the sleeping bodies that had been her only company and strength during several years of solitude. She stopped when she felt a light pulse in her belly reminding her she was not alone anymore and there were others who believed and loved her as well.

She went to where she kept her magic potions and ingredients to collect the book that contained the curse in its gut. She opened the book and retrieved the small scroll from inside. She looked at it having second thoughts and the scroll opened magically for her. It had finally unlocked like her mentor said. _"It will reveal itself when you're ready to cast it."_ The memory was fresh in her mind.

But Regina still loved Cora and she had trouble making up her mind about ending her mother's life this way. She wasn't even sure what the curse would do to them. She only knew Rumplestiltskin had written it for her to make her every wish come true and punish those she hated. But she didn't hate them anymore and her only wish was to have a happy ending with her family. It was also uncertain what the Dark One had hidden in the incantation. It had clearly been designed to suit him better than it would her.

_- "I have no choice."_ She repeated to herself as she walked into the deep black forest.

Regina was dropping the ingredients inside the magic well but she couldn't yet throw her mother's heart inside when a small figure appeared in front of her.

_- "What are you doing, darling?"_ Cora appeared in the same smoke that Regina used.  
_- "Mother! How did you know I was here?"_ Regina was frightened.  
_- "I had a hunch, sweetheart."_ She said closing the distance between them.  
_- "What is it that you keep in that box there?" _Her mother asked with dangerous curiosity.  
_- "Nothing."_ Regina took it in her grasp and put a spell so Cora couldn't make it vanish from her hands.  
_- "I disagree. I can distinguish my own heartbeat."_ She said in a low threatening tone.  
_- "We could have been happy!"_ Regina cried as she opened the box and retrieved the heart.  
_- "Don't do something foolish, child. We can still be if you give it back."_ Cora said nervously.  
_- "No, you will never let us. You're just evil."_ Regina told her with a gritty voice.  
_- "Evil isn't born. It's made and you're making a mistake again."_ Her mother told her.  
_- "Give me just one reason not to crush it."_ Her daughter desperately sought hope.  
_- "I didn't have my heart to show you love."_ Cora answered gently.

Regina looked at her mother with doubt and then at the heart she held in her hand. She was surprised to find out it glowed red with no darkness tainting it. Her mother was right. She had not had a heart for longer than she had been alive. It wasn't that she was pure evil. She lacked a heart and was incapable of love. It had been removed before she was tempted to darken it with taking Xavier's life that night after spinning all that gold for him.

_- "I gave it to my True Love because I couldn't let weakness possess me."_ She confessed.  
_- "Rumplestiltskin?" Regina couldn't believe it. "Is he my… father?" _She asked in shock.  
_- "No, he isn't your father. But he was my True Love." _She told her calmly.  
_- "And love is weakness in your eyes." _Regina mumbled.  
_- "Is it not? Look what it is doing to you."_ Cora told her.  
_- "No, it is strength!"_ Emma's voice was heard.  
_- "Emma!"_ Regina looked around for her.

Emma came walking toward them. She had woken up from a nightmare in which she saw Regina casting a curse that took them into a strange world. In that new life she wasn't Regina's wife. Her old partner in crime, Robin, was with her instead and he was the one raising her son as if he were his father. Emma was broken-hearted in her sleep and finally managed to wake up from it.

She was naturally scared when she didn't see Regina laying next to her and searched the palace for her wife but didn't find her. She looked inside the secret vault and noticed the empty coffins. There were also several boxes littered over the floor and she grew even more anxious. She tried to focus her mind on the person she loved most and her visions showed her the magic well and set her in the right path.

_- "If what you say is true, we will give you a second chance." _Emma told Cora.  
_- "What?" _Regina couldn't quite believe it.  
_- "But if you try to hurt her, I will destroy you if it is the last thing I do."_ Emma warned.

Cora didn't give a verbal answer. She just nodded in agreement and let Regina approach her. Her daughter carefully put the heart back inside her chest and waited with new hope shinning in her dark brown eyes.

A blinding light shone as the heart found its way back inside Cora's chest. She grasped for air and a torrent of emotions invaded her. She felt similar to what Regina experienced after getting True Love's kiss.

Cora looked with tender eyes at her daughter for the first time. It was a new feeling she was experiencing. She remembered the day she learned she was pregnant and then the first time she held her baby girl in her arms. She was overwhelmed and tears kept crawling down her cheeks.

She pulled Regina into a tight embrace and kept peppering her face with kisses she had denied her growing up. She felt regret, she was remorseful, but more than anything she felt love for her only daughter and she couldn't imagine going another day without feeling this way for her little girl.

_- "Words can't quite describe how sorry I am for everything I did to you."_ Cora apologized weeping.  
_- "Mom..."_ Regina couldn't say anything else. She was sobbing in her arms uncontrollably.

Emma was watching them feeling a heavy weight lift from her shoulders. She was touched by the scene in front of her and her own tears where falling from her eyes witnessing the change.

_- "Sweet, but not enough touching for me." _Rumplestiltskin yelled from a branch of a tree.  
_- "Rumplestiltskin! I won't let you manipulate my daughter any longer."_ Cora threatened.  
_- "Neither will I." _Emma yelled at him drawing out her sword with evident skill.  
_- "Just like your father you're a fool to believe you can defeat me."_ He said with arrogance.  
_- "We won't let you terrorize us anymore."_ Regina said with a deep low voice.  
_- "We have a deal, dearie. Need I remind you?"_ The Dark One said.  
_- "No one breaks deals with the Dark One."_ Cora mumbled worriedly.  
_- "Exactly, precious. I'm here to collect."_ He grinned maliciously.  
_- "Whatever she owes you, I will pay for her." _Her mother told the black warlock.

Rumplestiltskin chuckled and came closer to his once True Love and whispered in her ear.

_- "Funny, because you're exactly the price she has to pay."_ He said with malice.  
_- "NO!"_ Regina shouted dropping on her knees to cry; her fists closing on her lap.  
_- "I can't do this anymore. Just kill me already." _Regina had reached her limit and given up.  
_- "WHAT? NO! Regina, you can't mean that. Think about our..."_ Emma stopped before revealing their secret.  
_- "Your what?" _The Dark One asked with childish curiosity.

He made Regina appear next to him and he looked at her closely. There was something different that could only be seen if you paid special attention, like he was doing now. He made Emma and Cora freeze with his magic, so they couldn't move to save Regina from his grip. He put a hand over her belly and confirmed what her eyes had shown him just a minute before when they flickered gold for the tiniest moment.

_- "Let me make this easier for you. I will let your child live if you cast the curse now for me." _Rumplestiltskin was clear.  
_- "Please."_ Regina cried begging for mercy.  
_- "NOW! I CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER!"_ He was hysterical and made his hand a claw menacing with ripping out the innocent life she carried in her womb.  
_- "HEY!"_ Emma shouted to distract him but he paid her no mind.

Emma was struggling under his spell but her blood was boiling and her magic simmering in her veins. She was furious and she wouldn't allow him to continue threatening her family. So she focused all her energy on the barrier holding her still and it started breaking until she was free from its containment.

_- "You will have to go through me first!"_ The blonde said as she appeared next to him and gave him a powerful punch on the face breaking his crocodile skin.

He was caught off guard because no one had ever been able to break free from his magic. He touched his wounded cheekbone and looked at the blood staining his fingers. He clenched his teeth and summoned a sword in his right hand to counterattack the stupid princess daring to confront him.

_- "I see you have a strong desire to die in your wedding night."_ He said with amusement.  
_- "No. I have a strong desire to live and protect my family for the rest of my life."_ She replied sharply.  
_- "It is you who will meet his end."_ She assured him.

Emma wielded her sword and attacked the evil imp again, but he was able to stop her weapon with his own. This would be a duel he would enjoy because this princess was unlike any other opponent he had encountered. She was highly unpredictable and could use magic, so they continued fighting without letting Regina's screaming distract them.

Regina's body was paralyzed by Rumplestiltskin's spell now and unlike Emma, she couldn't break free from his immobilizing incantation. All she could do was witness the final battle unfolding before her. It was the worst night of her life and she couldn't half believe it was happening. She kept calling her fairy godmother but Tinker Bell was nowhere to be seen.

Rumplestiltskin had made a few cuts on Emma's body but nothing too serious because he wanted the duel to last a little longer. Her left arm was bleeding from the cut he made on her shoulder. She had another smaller cut on a side of her right thigh and her nose was bleeding from an elbow he gave her when she had trapped him from behind and put her sword on his throat. She wasn't winning but she had come damn close to making a serious injury.

A blinding strike made Emma fall half unconsciously on the ground. He hit her with a fireball when she managed to make him loose grip of his sword. He was pissed off and walked dangerously toward the panting woman on the dirt. He laughed at her mockingly and brought his sword high up in the air. He was going to cut off her head when a blue blast of magic sent him flying to crash against a tree.

It was Regina who had broken free this time. Her hands were glowing with a bright blue hue as she came closer to the Dark One. He was having difficulty with focusing his sight on her. The vision was blurry and he couldn't believe his apprentice had kept that kind of power hidden from him. But it wasn't entirely hers, he realized. It was the magic flowing from the critter growing inside her.

A blue-blooded boy was his undoing, but it was an undoing he wasn't ready to welcome. He thought this child would turn him back to his human form, but that would happen after he had retrieved his own son from the land with no magic. He was not meant to die in the hands of his apprentice using the power of the child she was bearing.

The seer. It struck him. She had given him false images when she passed him her gifted power. She had seen into the future and gave him half-truths to send him into downfall. But why? He was dismayed.

What he didn't know was this seer had been one of the Blue Fairy's protégées. The main piece of the puzzle to help them get rid of the Dark One once and for all. It was a curse that had to end and all the dagger would do was to pass the power on to a new host and provide the user with control over him. Even the purest would get corrupted with that kind of power, so they had to find another way.

They chose his desperate soul in hope his love for his son would make him choose the land without magic to follow after him, but he clung to power and abandoned him instead. And then Belle's True Love's kiss failed to work because he managed to stop the curse from breaking in time. Yellow had been his second chance and he didn't take it. There was no other way now. The curse had to disappear and he would die with it.

Emma came to Regina's side as she stood in front of her former mentor. They both focused their energy and their son's into a bright glowing ball that flickered purple, blue and gold. They released it in direction of the evil imp that had made Regina's life miserable for years. He had always known how to make her wounds hurt more than they should to encourage her into letting darkness consume and control her.

The Dark sorcerer saw how the blast of energy came closer and closer but there was something stopping him from moving from his position. He looked around him and then noticed the enchanted crystals beneath him. It was Blue's special array that immobilized magic beings. He saw how the Blue Fairy was hovering behind a tree where the others couldn't see her and realized this had all been her plan.

The energy ball reached him and he started burning inside its power. The light was blinding and he felt his body melting. He screamed loudly before completely disintegrating, only leaving a dagger in his place.

Regina came to pick it up from the ground and saw the name disappear from the blade. It was empty now. The curse had gone with Rumplestiltskin. The Blue Fairy pretended to have just arrived when Regina was about to hide the dagger with her magic. She asked the former Evil Queen to give it to her but Regina hesitated and asked for answers on exchange of the weapon.

_- "I don't answer to you. Now give me that dagger."_ Blue spoke with superiority.  
_- "Not until you tell me what happened with Tinker Bell."_ Regina insisted.  
_- "She lost her wings for breaking more rules than all our fairies together in history."_ Blue said angrily.  
_- "Where is she?"_ Regina demanded to know.  
_- "She was banned to Neverland."_ Blue answered getting even angrier.  
_- "Bring her back."_ The newly wed ordered in her Evil Queen manner.  
_- "Or what? What is the Evil Queen going to do?"_ The fairy challenged.  
_- "Do you really want to find out?"_ Regina got dangerously close to her now.

Blue took a moment to answer to that. She knew Regina was as big of a threat as the Dark One himself and it had taken them five centuries to get rid of that curse. If Regina wanted, she could find the way to make the dagger work again and bring a new Dark One to the fairytale land to torment them. She sighed deeply and waved her wand making Tinker Bell appear next to Regina. The green fairy looked confused but was happy to see her friend again. She ran to embrace her and thanked her for rescuing her.

_- "The dagger."_ Blue extended her hand.  
_- "Her wings."_ Regina replied in the same coldness.  
_- "She can't be back in our realm after what she did."_ Blue responded with irritation.  
_- "It is fine, Regina. I don't want to be a fairy any longer."_ Her now human friend told her.

Regina looked at Tinker Bell with confusion but didn't question her decision. She gave Blue the dagger and turned to join her mother and Emma. Cora had now healed the princess's wounds with her magic and was waiting for her daughter and Tinker Bell to come with them. The blue fairy disappeared and the victorious group of women walked their way back to the Dark Palace.

The Blue Fairy flew back to her own realm and delivered the dagger to her Master.

_- "It worked."_ Blue said with surprise.  
_- "And Tink?"_ The white bearded wizard asked.  
_- "As you envisioned, Greatness, she chose a human life."_ The Blue Fairy answered.  
_- "Good. I can finally take a nap now."_ The elder chuckled.  
_- "Is there anything else I can do for you, Highness?"_ She asked with respect.  
_- "One last thing... Enjoy yourself."_ He smiled warmly at her.

The mysterious wizard with a starry hat walked away and disappeared in the landscape.


	23. Happy Endings

**Happy Endings**

* * *

Time was running slower now. They didn't have a threat lurking around them and their lives had become much calmer. Regina was enjoying having her mother with her and she was gaining a little more weight than she would have wanted because Cora kept cooking for her and her growing baby. Her belly was bigger and Emma loved putting her hands on it and feeling the light kicking from their son.

The palace was no longer gloomy because Tinker Bell had made it a chore to brighten it up to be more welcoming for the soon to come child. She got rid of the furniture she found too aggressive or boring and put all of what Jasmine had given them in their wedding. It made the place look much warmer and relaxed with the many pillows littered over the rugs in the great room.

Cora would often argue with the ex-fairy about her bad taste but she would let her do as she pleased in the end, because she had grown to love her like a daughter too. She wished she had given Regina a little sister and was happy Tink had become just that. A cheerful sweet sister and friend they could rely on.

Emma would often come and go to her parent's realm to let them know about Regina's pregnancy progress. Even when most of their friends had embraced their union, there were still some who didn't want to see either of them in the kingdom. She didn't really care but she didn't want to trouble her parents, so she kept her visits short and punctual.

She would come when they had to solve things concerning the welfare of the realm and business, because she would inherit the throne after her parent's passed away and she had to learn everything with precision to keep the kingdom thriving.

They continued doing business with King Ardan Jones through Killian. He had insisted to his father that he could do it after having come to Emma's wedding with Regina. They soon learned he had met Tinker Bell in that party and even shared a dance with her. It wasn't too hard to guess why the fairy had decided to live a human life now and they were happy when they announced they would be getting married the following year.

Emma was back home after a tiring day with her father in the country. They had to visit their farmers to see how they could help them improve their production so they could export more of their produce. She felt her feet throbbing and summoned a hot bath for her whole body to relax. She was starting to fall asleep inside the tub when she heard Regina give a painful moan. She immediately opened her eyes and rushed out of the tub.

Emma was dressed in an instant with magic and she was helping Regina get to their bed.

_- "Cora! CORA! It is time!"_ She yelled.

Cora quickly appeared and summoned a basin with warm water and clean towels.

_- "It's okay, honey, it will hurt for a moment but all will be forgotten when you have him in your arms." _Her mother said lovingly whilst wiping Regina's forehead with a clean rag.

Regina continued panting holding Emma's arm firmly. Emma could almost feel her arm breaking because of how strongly her wife was tugging. She kissed her temple and encouraged her to push. Tinker Bell came as well and helped Cora with changing the stained towels for new ones.

_- "Snow… Emma. You have to get her." _Regina said between pushes.  
_- "What? Oh, right. She would never forgive me."_ Emma remembered her mother had ordered her to bring her when the time came.  
_- "But I don't want to leave your side." _She struggled.  
_- "This is going to take a while, sweetheart, you can come and go in a blink of an eye." _Cora said to her daughter-in-law with serenity.  
_- "Okay. I won't be long."_ Emma said before vanishing in a golden mist.

She appeared in her parent's bedchambers and was glad they were sitting by the hearth reading books. Emma told them it was time now and Regina was in labor. Her father agreed to let Snow accompany her daughter and he would stay in his palace because they couldn't both leave at the same time. Emma appeared with her mother next to Regina's bed and continued cheering for her.

As hours continued to pass and Regina's pain became worse Emma was growing more anxious. She started regretting getting her pregnant in the first place. She cursed herself mentally for causing her wife so much trouble.

Regina had suffered the first months of nausea and hormonal imbalance. She had to deal with her body changing into a shape she said was unflattering, even when Emma considered it an object of her worship. This was all her fault.

_- "Can we call the Blue Fairy?"_ Emma asked her mother with despair.  
_- "Not unless there is no other way. This is normal, Emma." _Her mother told her.  
_- "How can this be normal? She started last night and the sun is already rising behind us!" _Emma was frustrated and desperate.  
_- "Love, I'm fine. It is just... a little painful but I can do it." _Regina tried to appease her, ironically, what made Emma's guilt only worsen.  
_- "He's coming! I can see the head."_ Cora announced with excitement.

Everyone recovered their breath and even pushed together with Regina, what made the pregnant woman chuckle mentally. They seemed to be even more strained than she was. She did have immeasurable pain and felt like her bones where shattering to make room for the wicked brat to come through, but it was humorous how Emma was trembling and sweating as if she would die any moment.

A loud cry made them stop suffering and Cora showed them a little boy still covered in blood to assure them they had a healthy vigorous baby. Regina smiled broadly and Emma sighed deeply but she nearly fainted when Snow told her she should be the one to cut her son's cord and gave her the gold scissors that would do the job. She gulped and gathered her courage and did what she was meant to do and Regina kissed her proudly.

Tinker Bell helped cleaning the baby and let Snow wrap him in a lovely blanket Granny had weaved for him. It was similar to the one she had made for Emma but it had a different name on it.

_- "Henry."_ Regina said as Snow White placed the baby in her arms.

It was her father's name what they had chosen for their first-born in honor of his memory. Cora cried hearing the name and seeing her own child bring a new life to this world. It was a miracle and magic on its own to give birth and this baby was anything but ordinary.

The newborn slowly opened his eyes revealing a green gaze like one of his mother's. Emma let her own tears pour out and kissed her wife again feeling overwhelmed and extremely honored with the beautiful child she had granted her. He was just too perfect and innocent.

Regina gave her the baby so she could carry him in her arms but Emma was very nervous to take him. He looked so small and fragile she feared holding him too loosely and dropping him or too tightly and breaking him.

_- "Don't be silly. You will do just fine."_ Regina smiled at her.

Emma was careful and received the child in her arms. Her tears trickled down her cheeks as she leaned to place a kiss on his tender forehead. The little boy looked at her with curiosity and then lifted his tiny hand glowing in pale blue. She touched it with her finger and he curled his tiny fingers around it, the gleam disappearing from his magical hand.

They were all so thankful for this new chapter in their lives that would only bring joy and a happy ending their way but decided to wait until Henry was three months old to present the little heir in court.

News had already traveled across realms about the magical baby born in the Dark Palace. Some were excited to meet him and others were terrified about his background. He was a child born from darkness and light that had magic and could easily lean toward evil if not guided right. He presented a threat for the conservative but hope for those who believed in second chances.

It was time to present the little prince in the Enchanted Forest. Snow had prepared a beautiful ceremony like she had always liked doing. It was her grandson after all and a future King her people would have to follow without question.

Snow White and Charming presented Emma and Regina first, so both mothers would then present their baby with solemnity. Emma held the little boy in her hands high in the air and everyone bowed in reverence to the little prince.

Baby Henry cooed in happiness and his tiny hands shimmered in pale blue. Small white petals started to fall from above them inside the palace and everyone looked up in surprise. They didn't feel scared because it was a beautiful show what prince Henry was doing. He was showing them a glimpse of what his heart had for his future subjects. It was light and gentleness. He was just True Love's Product in the end.

Regina smiled at Emma and received the baby from her wife. She went to sit close to her parents in law's thrones to sing a lullaby to her now sleepy child. Everyone was pleased with the ceremony and left the palace with a warm feeling in their hearts. Those petals that had touched them carried the seed of hope and forgiveness to soothe their spirits and change the minds of the few who were still holding a grudge against the magical family.

And they lived happily ever after.

**The End**


End file.
